Perennial strongly aromatic with a slender often creeping woody root-stock. Stems few to several, slender, quadrangular often purplish, 10-30 cm, ascending, with a very fine indumentum of eglandular hairs. Leaves few, broadly ovate to orbicular, cordate, clearly crenate to serrate, c. 5-15 x 5-15 mm, thickish in texture, on both surfaces with short eglandular hairs, below with sessile oil globules; lowermost leaves with a petiole up to 3.5 cm, uppermost shortly petiolate. Inflorescence a terminal capitulum, sometimes with a few subterminal congested distant verticillasters; verticillasters c. 12-flowered; bracts ovate-oblong, white-pilose, long acuminate. Pedicels c. 2-3 mm. Calyx 5-6 mm long, white-pilose, often tinged violet, indistinctly bilabiate; teeth ovate-triangular long mucronate, not diverging in fruit. Corolla purple or dark blue, c. 10 mm long, externally pilose; tube narrow scarcely wider above. Stamens clearly exserted up to 2.5 mm beyond corolla upper lip. Nutlets oblong, c. 2 x 1 mm.

Fl. Per.: June-August.

Type: [Soviet C Asia] Dzungaria, Ala Tau, Sarkhan, Karelin & Kirilow 1813 (K!, LE, MW - n.v.).

Distribution: C. Asia, Afghanistan, Tibet, Sinkiang, W. Himalayas, Pakistan.

A high alpine species often on bare slopes or screes, easily recognized by the petiolate basal leaves and the exserted stamens. Recorded by Hartmann (l.c.) up to 5280 m. Rather anomalous in Dracocephalum.