''Ajuga chamaepitys'' is a species of flowering plant of the family Lamiaceae. Popularly known as yellow bugle, chian bugle or ground-pine, the plant has many of the same characteristics and properties as ''

Ajuga reptans ''Ajuga reptans'' is commonly known as bugle, blue bugle, bugleherb, bugleweed, carpetweed, carpet bugleweed, and common bugle, and traditionally but less commonly as St. Lawrence plant. It is an herbaceous flowering plant in the mint family Lami ...

''. ''A. chamaepitys'' can be found in Europe, the Eastern part of the Mediterranean, and North Africa.

Description

''Ajuga chamaepitys'' is a small herbaceous perennial that reaches 10–40 cm in height. The leaves have an opposite arrangement. Its flowering season is generally in late spring. Ground pine is a plant whose richness has been severely reduced by changes to downland farming. At first sight, ''A. chamaepitys'' looks like a tiny pine tree with a reddish purple four-cornered hairy stem. The leaves can get up to 4 cm long, are divided into three linear lobes, and, when crushed, have a smell similar to pine needles. Ground pine sheds its shiny black seeds close to the parent plant and the seeds can remain alive in the soil for up to 50 years.Grieve, M. ''A Modern Herbal: The Medicinal, Culinary, Cosmetic and Economic Properties, Cultivation and Folk-lore of Herbs, Grasses, Fungi, Shrubs & Trees with their Modern Scientific Uses''. Dover Publications Inc., 1971

Herbal use

''Ajuga chamaepitys'' has stimulant,

diuretic A diuretic () is any substance that promotes diuresis, the increased production of urine. This includes forced diuresis. A diuretic tablet is sometimes colloquially called a water tablet. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics i ...

and

emmenagogue Emmenagogues (also spelled ''emmenagogs'') are herbs which stimulate blood flow in the pelvic area and uterus The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', plural ''uteri'') or womb () is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, in ...

action and is considered by herbalists to form a good remedy for

gout Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of a red, tender, hot and swollen joint, caused by deposition of monosodium urate monohydrate crystals. Pain typically comes on rapidly, reaching maximal intens ...

and rheumatism and also to be useful in female disorders. In the

Levant The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is ...

, the plant has traditionally been used by locals as an analgesic. Ground pine was a plant well known to Tudor herbalists who exploited the resins contained within the leaves. The herb was formerly regarded almost as a specific in gouty and rheumatic affections. The plant leaves were dried and reduced to powder.flowersinisrael.com
/ref> It formed an ingredient of the once famous gout remedy, Portland Powder. It was composed of the leaves of ''Ajuga camaepitys'', which has a slightly turpentine-like smell and a rough taste, with properties described as being similar to diluted alcohol.

References

chamaepitys Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Taxa named by Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber Flora of the Mediterranean Basin {{Lamiaceae-stub