An undershrub, 60-150 cm, with terete (neither striate nor angular) glabrous, dark purple twigs. Leaves with up 1 cm long petiole; lamina linear-lanceolate, 9-15 x 2-3 cm broad, glabrous on both sides, entire, apex acute-acuminate attenuate basally. Inflorescence terminal or axillary spikes or panicle of spikes, up to 10 cm long, more than 1.5 cm across. Flowers subsessile, white with purple streaks and spots inside, 1.6-2 cm long; bracts lanceolate, c. 4 long; bracteoles absent. Calyx 5-lobed almost to the base, lobes linear-lass late, c. 5 mm long, acuminate. Corolla tube cylindrical, c. 1 cm long, new glabrous, limb bilabiate, upper lip c. 8 mm long, shallowly 2-lobed, lower c. 1 cm long, 3-lobed, spreading. Staminal filaments c. 5 mm long, anther lobes c. 2 mm long, unequal. Ovary oblong-cylindric, c. 2 mm long, style filiform, c. 1 long, puberulous. Capsule glabrous, 4-seeded.

Fl. Per.: December-May.

Type: “Crescit in Malabara”, Amboina & Java unde specimina saepius missa.

Distribution: China, Malaya, Philippines, Malacca, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan.

Probably a native of China; cultivated in gardens as a hedge plant in Pakistan.