Plants vigorously spreading by leafy stolons and forming loose mats; flowering stems ±erect, 1-3 dm, commonly pubescent in strips decurrent from the lf-bases; lvs often coppery or purplish; basal lvs often persistent, relatively large and long-petiolate; verticils usually 6-fld; upper cor-lip entire; otherwise much like no. 1 [Ajuga genevensis L.]; 2n=32. Native of Eurasia, sometimes escaped into lawns etc. in our range. May, June.
Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.
