''Ajuga pyramidalis'', commonly known as pyramidal bugle, is a

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

of the genus ''

Ajuga ''Ajuga'' , also known as bugleweed,Bailey, L.H.; Bailey, E.Z.; the staff of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. ''Hortus third: A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada''. Macmillan, New York. ground pine, c ...

'' in the family

Lamiaceae The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory ...

. It is a

native plant In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often popularised as "with no human intervention") during history. The term is equ ...

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

Description

Pyramidal bugle is a perennial, herbaceous plant growing from about tall. At the base there is a rosette of stalked leaves which are significantly larger than the stem leaves. The stiff upright hairy stem is square and bears simple leaves growing in opposite pairs. They are ovate, hairy above and below and have a slightly wavy edge. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

has leaf-like bracts subtending the individual flowers. The bracts gradually get smaller towards the tip of the inflorescence, are always longer than the flowers and the upper ones are often tinged purple. The inflorescence forms a pyramid-shaped terminal spike and is formed of axillary whorls. The calyx of each flower is five-lobed, the bluish-violet corolla has a long tube and is fused, with two lips. The upper lip is very short and the lower lip is three-lobed. There are four stamens, two long and two short. The

gynoecium Gynoecium (; ) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more) ''pistils'' ...

is formed of two fused carpels and the fruit is a four-chambered schizocarp. The hermaphrodite flowers are zygomorphic. The flowers produce nectar to attract pollinators which are bumblebees and butterflies. The flowering time extends from June to August. The chromosome number is 2n = 32.

Ecology

The bracts in the inflorescence form effective shelters for the flowers from rain, their red-violet color enhances the signal effect of the flowers. The shaggy hairiness of the calyx protects the flower against small, crawling insects. The nectar is additionally secured by a stiff, upturned hair ring. The fruits with fleshy, oily appendages (elaiosomes) are quickly taken by ants.

Distribution

Rocky ground, very rare in Ireland. Also found in Scotland and Westmorland in England.

Occurrence

The pyramid bugle is native to in northern Europe and the Caucasus where it occurs at sea level in the British Isles, in the mountains of central and southern Europe, and in northern and western Scandinavi

It grows on almost neutral soils in open grassland, heathland and rock ledges. In the

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...

, it grows at altitudes of up to .

Uses

The pyramid bugle, like many Ajuga species, is often erroneously claimed to hold medicinal properties and may be used for wound treatment and for metabolic disorders.Howard, Michael (1987). ''Traditional Folk Remedies'' Century. p.95

References

Xaver Finkenzeller: Alpenblumen, München 2003, M. A. Fischer, W. Adler & K Oswald.: Exkursionsflora für Österreich, Liechtenstein und Südtirol, Linz, 2005, Erich Oberdorfer: Pflanzensoziologische Exkursionsflora für Deutschland und angrenzende Gebiete. 8 Auflage. Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2001. {{Taxonbar, from=Q159714 pyramidalis Flora of Europe Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus