Ajuga Chamaepitys (L.)
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Ajuga chamaepitys (L.) Ground-pine, Ajuga Chamaepitys (Schreb.) LAMIACEAE SYN.: Yellow bugle Status: Vulnerable in Britain Status in Europe: Not threatened 32 sites in 20 10km squares Ajuga chamaepitys is protected under schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This makes it an offence to intentionally pick, uproot or destroy any plants. Contents 1 Morphology, Identification, Taxonomy & Genetics ...................................................... 2 1.1 Morphology & Identification............................................................................... 2 1.2 Taxonomic Considerations................................................................................. 3 1.3 Genetic implications ......................................................................................... 4 1.4 MEDICINAL PROPERTIES................................................................................... 4 2 Distribution & Current Status .................................................................................. 5 2.1 World............................................................................................................. 5 2.2 Europe ........................................................................................................... 6 2.3 United Kingdom.............................................................................................. 7 2.3.1 England .................................................................................................... 7 2.3.2 Northern Ireland, Scotland & Wales .............................................................. 9 3 Ecology & Life Cycle............................................................................................... 9 4 Habitat Requirements ...........................................................................................10 4.1 The Landscape Perspective...............................................................................12 4.2 Communities & Vegetation ...............................................................................12 4.3 SUMMARY OF HABITAT REQUIREMENTS ..........................................................12 5 Management Implications......................................................................................14 6 Threats/ Factors leading to loss or decline or limiting recovery....................................15 7 Current Conservation Measures ..............................................................................15 7.1 In Situ Measures.............................................................................................15 7.2 Ex-Situ Measures............................................................................................17 7.3 Research Data................................................................................................17 7.4 Monitoring and the Common Monitoring Standard................................................17 8 References ..........................................................................................................18 9 Contacts .............................................................................................................19 11 Links ................................................................................................................19 Work on Ajuga chamaepitys is supported by: 1 1 Morphology, Identification, Taxonomy & Genetics 1.1 MORPHOLOGY & IDENTIFICATION Ajuga chamaepitys is an herbaceous annual, biennial or occasionally a short-lived perennial member of the Lamiaceae, or dead-nettle family. Plants grow up to 5 to 20cm tall and have the appearance of small pine seedlings. The erect to decumbent stems of mature individuals are usually branched low down, and often flush red as they become older and larger. The leaves have a thick cuticle and are very hairy, which is thought to reduce evapo- transpiration. Leaves are grey-green and occasionally red-yellow in colour, and divided half way up to the midrib in partially to fully linear segments. When crushed the leaves have a piney, sharp, resinous smell similar to that of Pinus genus. The flowers are clustered around the stem and small in size. They have a yellow corolla with red dots, 3-lobed lower lip and short 1-2 lobed upper lip, four stamens, and are similar in form to Snapdragon flowers (Stace 1997). Figure 1 – Erect Ajuga chamaepitys Figure 2 – one individual with three with young flowers (Fran Thompson) stems. (Judith Shorter) Figure 3 – Morphology of Ajuga Figure 4 – Anatomical illustration of Ajuga chamaepitys (Garrard & Streeter 1998) chamaepitys by Stella Ross Craig (Marren 1994) 1.2 TAXONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS The species’ name originates from a corrupted Latin word for abortifant (Ajuga), and chamae meaning ground hugging, and low growing (Gledhill 1985). A. chamaepitys is a member of the dead nettle family, Lamiaceae and a close relative to bugles such as Ajuga reptans and A. pyramidalis. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Lamiaceae Genus: Ajuga Species: Ajuga chamaepitys (L). Schreb 1.3 GENETIC IMPLICATIONS No studies on genetic diversity within this species have been carried out. It has been proposed that populations in micro sites could be closely related and therefore have a small gene pool (Davis 1996) 1.4 MEDICINAL PROPERTIES A handful of medicinal properties are known for A. chamaepitys, however information is limited due to a significant lack of research in this area. It is mainly used for cures and as part of medicinal practices in parts of the world where the species is more familiar. Dioscorides regarded Ground-pine as a general-purpose herb. The Arabs knew that it cured paralysis in animals and hysteria in horses. A. chamaepitys was thought to be familiar to early herbalists such as the Tudors (Marren 1994). 2 Distribution & Current Status 2.1 WORLD Europe and North West Africa. It occurs as an introduced species in the states of Virginia and Maryland in the USA. Figure 5 – The world distribution of Ajuga chamaepitys (GBIF and Google Earth) Table 1 - Global occurrences of Ajuga chamaepitys COUNTRY OCCURRENCES SOURCE COUNTRY OCCURRENCES SOURCE Andorra 1 GBIF Croatia 4 GBIF Armenia 1 GBIF Hungary 2 GBIF Austria 57 GBIF Italy 12 GBIF Bulgaria 1 GBIF Morocco 1 GBIF Switzerland 3 GBIF Portugal 4 GBIF Czech Republic 2 GBIF Romania 2 GBIF Germany 479 GBIF Slovenia 4 GBIF Spain 159 GBIF Tunisia 1 GBIF France 1,494 GBIF Turkey 7 GBIF United Kingdom 246 GBIF United 5 GBIF States Greece 115 GBIF 2.2 EUROPE Ajuga chamaepitys has an extensive range throughout central and southern Europe, occurring in France, Belgium, and the Iberian Peninsula. The species is not regarded as threatened in Europe. Figure 6 – The European distribution of Ajuga chamaepitys (GBIF and Google Earth) 2.3 UNITED KINGDOM OVERVIEW British plants are similar to those found in France, Belgium, and the Iberian Peninsula. It is at the northern end of its range in Britain, and probably a remnant from before the Ice Ages, when the climate was warmer. The species would have become ‘stranded’ here when the United Kingdom was last cut off from Europe approximately 5,000 to 6,000 years ago. Figure 7 – The UK distribution of Ajuga chamaepitys (Plantlife 2006) 2.3.1. ENGLAND Ajuga chamaepitys was once regarded as common locally on the North Downs in Kent. The main population concentrations are now found on the North Downs in Kent and Surrey. Prior to 1970, A. chamaepitys was recorded from 45 localities in 23 10km squares. Since 1970 it has been recorded from 32 sites in 20 10km squares. Populations vary greatly from year to year and between sites. However, in some sites, very few individuals occur, whereas in other areas populations may be composed of vast numbers of individuals, particularly where conservation management work has been carried out. Although A. chamaepitys may not have been seen at a site for a number of years, the long dormancy period of any seed which may survive in the seed bank, means that it could reappear following disturbance. The species has been lost from its former range particularly in East Anglia, and is threatened in others throughout Kent and Surrey. The majority of sites are located in Surrey and Kent on the chalk escarpments of the Downs. These sites are characterised by rough grassland in amongst areas of scrub and secondary woodland, and edges of arable fields. Surrey is the stronghold for the species, where it occurs on the south-facing escarpment of the North Downs from Gomshall in the west to Reigate in the east. Historically occurring at the edge of arable fields and tracks and associated with rabbit activity, it now tends to appear where scrub clearance has been carried out as part of conservation work. Massive populations can turn up immediately following on from such management, but then disappear within a few years as the sward takes over. Whether this rapid colonisation is as a result of extremely good dispersal methods or a widely occurring seedbank in the soil is not fully understood. At Ranmore Common a large population has been recorded at the edge of an illegally constructed mountain bike run on a steep track, in 2008 this biking had either radically decreased or stopped altogether, and soon virtually no plants were recorded. In Kent the populations are more typically associated with disturbed soil on field borders, trackside and occasionally on steep escarpment with self-eroding slopes. Both Hampshire and Bedfordshire populations are associated with field edges. Table 2 -