Perennial herb with a slender woody rootstock. Stems 30-60 cm, erect or ascending, simple or with few branches, with a retrorse white eglandular indumentum of varying density. Leaves rather thin-textured, ovate, 2-3.5 x 1.2-2 cm, subentire or crenulate-denticulate, rounded at base, pilose, with or without sessile oil globules; petiole up to 12 mm. Verticillasters in axils of upper leaves, densely globose, up to 30- (-40)-flowered, remote, terminal and axillary. Bracts 5-10 mm, subulate-filiform, ciliate. Pedicels erect-spreading, c. 2 mm. Calyx 7-10 mm, curved, green or purplish, with long spreading eglandular hairs, with or without capitate glandular hairs; teeth of upper lip 2.5-3 mm, subulate, of lower lip 3-5 mm upwardly curved; throat with some long eglandular hairs, but not bearded. Corolla rose to purple, 12-15 (-20) mm, soon deciduous; tube not or scarcely exserted from calyx teeth. Thecae glabrous, parallel or diverging. Nutlets pale brown, smooth, subglobose, c. 1 x 0.8 mm, with a white attachment scar.

Fl. Per.: March-July.

Type: "Flab. in rupestribus Europae, Canadae (LINN 742/1 - microfiche!).

Distribution: Europe, SW Asia, C. Asia, NW India.

Bothmer (l.c, 1967) recognized 3 subspecies; all our material would come under the type subspecies. See comments under next species.