Ajuga iva (L.) Schreb.

Family: LABIATAE (LAMIACEAE)

Genus: Ajuga

Catalan common name: Almescat. Esquiva peluda. Iva. Iva moscada. Iveta.

Spanish common name: Iva. Pinillo almizclado. Pinillo oloroso.

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Formentera. Cabrera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Mediterranean

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Chameophyte.

Habitats: Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones. Pine wood and shrubland with rosemary and thyme garigue. Therophytic calicole fields. Dry soils.

Characteristics: Within the group of the Labiates there are few genuses which have flowers with only one lip, the lower one. Ajuga is one of these. It is a small bush, whose branches grow along the ground, covered in grey, wavy leaves. The flowers are yellow or violet and bloom directly from the axil of the leaves. It can be found in uncultivated land and dry ground. It flowers in summer and autumn.