Description: Perennial or annual herbs; branches terete or 4-angular; hairs simple.
Leaves decussate, simple, entire, crenate, toothed or lobed, sessile or petiolate.
Inflorescence leafy, thyrse-like with sessile 1–5-flowered cymes in each leaf axil. Calyx 5-lobed; lobes equal. Corolla appearing 1-lipped, with lower and lateral lobes large, and upper lobes short. Stamens 4, fertile; anthers with 2 loculi fertile; loculi strongly divergent.
Mericarps not keeled.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 40 species, from temperate regions of the Old World. Australia: 1–3 species (endemic), Qld, N.S.W., Vic., Tas., S.A.
One record of Ajuga reptans doubtfully naturalised in NSW.
Text by B. J. Conn
Taxon concept:
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