ground pine

American  

noun

1. any of several species of club moss, especially Lycopodium obscurum or L. complanatum.

2. a European herb, Ajuga chamaepitys, of the mint family, having a resinous odor.

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ground pine British  

noun

1. a hairy plant, Ajuga chamaepitys, of Europe and N Africa, having two-lipped yellow flowers marked with red spots: family Lamiaceae (labiates). It smells of pine when crushed See also bugle 2

2. any of certain North American club mosses, esp Lycopodium obscurum

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Etymology

Origin of ground pine

First recorded in 1545–55

Example Sentences

Bark, particularly finely ground pine bark, holds water and can be used as a substitute for peat moss.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 14, 2024

There were arms at hand, of course; Hodges’ rifle was visible, leaning against a ground pine within his reach.

From Heart of the Blue Ridge by Baily, Waldron

Sometimes they all went home crowned with autumn leaves, sometimes with woodbine or ground pine, and early in spring with bloodroots, violets, or anemones.

From Violet: A Fairy Story by Guild, Caroline Snowden

I have just been off, all alone, foraging, and have come home bringing my sheaves with me: ground pine and red berries, with which I have made a beautiful wreath.

From The Life and Letters of Elizabeth Prentiss by Prentiss, George L.

A trailing ground pine had torn up small blades in its journey across the hill, and a vine, wrist-thick, twisted about a pale oak, hideously, gloriously, killing it, dragging it into dust.

From The Best Short Stories of 1919 and the Yearbook of the American Short Story by O'Brien, Edward J. (Edward Joseph Harrington)