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

See Examples For:

ground pine

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

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 14, 2024

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 George L. Prentiss

Then the way sloped down to a beautiful forest, shady and green, full of mossy dells, almost overgrown with ferns and low spreading ground pine or spruce.

From Tales of lonely trails by Zane Grey

One particularly, which she called the ground pine, is peculiar as she told me, to the Alleghany, and in some places runs over whole acres of ground; it is extremely beautiful.

From Domestic Manners of the Americans by Fanny Trollope

Then the ground pine, the princess pine, and various nameless pretty things of the woods, all flourish in these little conservatories.

From American Woman's Home by Catharine Esther Beecher