Glechoma hederacea L. var. parviflora (Benth.) House
Nepeta hederacea (L.) Trevis.
Glechoma hederacea L.
Ground-ivy, gill-over-the-ground, creeping charlie, alehoof, tunhoof, catsfoot, field balm, run-away-robin
Ground-ivy is not a North American native, but after its introduction from Europe and southwestern Asia, it has become widespread. It is a member of the mint family.
Plants: Often only 3″ (7.6 cm) tall, it sometimes reaches 12″ (30 cm). It forms dense mats. These plants commonly appear in lawns, and have a strong scent when crushed.
Leaves: Round or kidney-shaped leaves with scalloped edges, ⅜–1¼″ (9.5–31 mm) in diameter, attached in opposing pairs to a stem that is roughly square in cross-section.
Flowers: Blue, purple, or lavender, occurring in groups of 3. The flower shape is unusual. A small upper petal is divided into two lobes. A larger lower petal has a lobe on either side, and a large bottom lobe that is divided into two more lobes. Each flower is ⅜–½″ (9.5–12 mm) across.
Fruits: Each flower produces up to four small, brown, egg-shaped nutlets.. It also spreads via roots.
Habitats: Moist ground, woods, slopes, roadsides, waste places, lawns.
Edibility: Used as a salad green, though it is apparently toxic to some animals.
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Some similar species. |
Online References:
References:
Clemants, Steven; Gracie, Carol, Wildflowers in the Field and Forest, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 50
Glechoma hederacea L. var. micrantha Moric.
Glechoma hederacea L. var. parviflora (Benth.) House
Nepeta hederacea (L.) Trevis.
Glechoma hederacea L. var. parviflora (Benth.) House
Nepeta hederacea (L.) Trevis.
5/12/2007 · Pepperell, Massachusetts 
3/20/2012 · Gunpowder Falls State Park, Phoenix Rd, Phoenix, Maryland · ≈ 4 × 3½″ (11 × 9.3 cm) 
6/2/2008 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts 
6/9/2017 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 4½ × 6″ (12 × 16 cm) 
6/11/2014 · Conservation Area near Potanipo Pond, Brookline, New Hampshire · ≈ 4½ × 6″ (11 × 14 cm) 
4/29/2017 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 4 × 2½″ (10 × 7.1 cm) 
6/9/2017 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm) 
4/29/2017 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 4 × 2½″ (11 × 7.3 cm) 
5/12/2007 · Pepperell, Massachusetts 
5/17/2016 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts 
5/5/2010 · Nashua River at Rte 119, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 7″ (12 × 18 cm) 
6/9/2017 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 4 × 6″ (11 × 16 cm) 
5/17/2016 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts 
6/9/2017 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 8″ (13 × 20 cm) 
6/11/2014 · Conservation Area near Potanipo Pond, Brookline, New Hampshire · ≈ 7 × 8″ (16 × 20 cm) 
4/23/2010 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm) 
6/9/2017 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (12 × 18 cm) 
3/18/2012 · Gunpowder Falls State Park, Phoenix Rd., Phoenix, Maryland · ≈ 4 × 3″ (11 × 8.3 cm) 
6/11/2014 · Conservation Area near Potanipo Pond, Brookline, New Hampshire · ≈ 8 × 6″ (20 × 14 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Asteridae | A large class that encompasses asters |
| Order | Lamiales | Aromatic herbs and shrubs, including lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, ash, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, garden sage, mint, basil, and rosemary |
| Family | Lamiaceae | Mint family |
| Genus | Glechoma | From the Greek glechon, an old name for a kind of mint, possibly the pennyroyal, Mentha pulegium |
| Species | hederacea | “Of or pertaining to ivy” |
Glechoma hederacea description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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