A prostrate or suberect, much branched herb roothing at nodes. Leaves (3-) 4 in a whorl, unequal, petiole 1-5 mm long; lamina thin, elliptic-ovate to oblanceolate, 2-6 (-8) x 1-2.5 (-3) cm, entire or minutely denticulate, apex acutely apiculate, puberulous above, hairy on nerves below, basally attenuate. Inflorescence usually an axillary cluster of 2-3 flowers, 1-1.5 cm long or solitary. Flowers white to purplish-pink, 1.2-1.8 cm long; bracts in 4 opposite paris, broadly spathulate-obovate 7-8 x 2-4 mm, apex obtuse with up to 4 mm long stiff, reflexed hairy, slender bristles on margins and apex; bracteoles spathulate with 2-5 mm long hairy bristles. Calyx 4-lobed, lobes unequal, ciliate margined, outer lobes 1-1.5 cm long, inner ones 7-8 mm long, all sharp-pointed. Corolla tube urceolate, c. 4 mm long, pubescent, upper lip absent, lower lip c. 1.2-1.4 cm long, obscurely lobed. Stamens 4, filaments c. 4.5 mm long, glabrous, anthers oblong, c. 3 mm long. Style c. 7 mm long. Capsule ovoid, 6-7 mm long, shining. Seeds 2, ± orbicular, flattened, c. 4 x 3.5 mm.

Fl. Per.: November-February.

Holotype: “Habitat in India” Herb. Linn. 816.10 (LINN).

Distribution: Tropical Africa, Pakistan (Punjab) and India.

On bare gravelly ground and roadsides in the Punjab province.

All our material belongs to subsp. maderaspatensis var. maderaspatensis. Its close ally var. abyssinica Fiori differs from it in larger spikes (17-23 mm long including the calyx) and larger corolla (1.9-2.8 cm long).