bugleweed
bugleweed Lexical Profile
bugleweed Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Any of several low-growing, mat-forming perennial flowering plants of the genus Ajuga (especially Ajuga reptans) in the mint family, widely cultivated as garden groundcovers for their colorful foliage and upright spikes of tubular blue, purple, pink, or white blossoms.
"The landscaper planted bugleweed along the shaded garden border to provide a dense carpet of purple blooms in the spring."
North American Any of various moisture-loving perennial herbs of the genus Lycopus (especially Lycopus virginicus) in the mint family, native to North American wetlands and bearing dense axillary clusters of tiny, four-lobed white flowers.
"Wild bugleweed thrives along the muddy banks of the creek, producing tiny white flowers in late summer."
Word Nuance & Usage
The common name "bugleweed" applies to two distinct genera within the mint family: horticultural groundcovers of the genus Ajuga (typically grown for their spring flower spikes) and wetland herbs of the genus Lycopus (often used in herbal remedies).
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed from 'bugle' (in its older botanical sense derived from Medieval Latin 'bugula') and 'weed'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.