Perennial herb up to 80 cm tall. Roots thick, exuding a purplish dye. Stem solitary, simple, arising from a cluster of basal leaves, hollow, hairy; longer hairs stout and stiff, 2-2.6 mm long, arising from a swollen base, intermixed with shorter weak hairs. Basal leaves 15-22 x 10-26 mm, cauline ones smaller, lanceolate entire, hairy on both surfaces; hairs weak, ± appressed. Inflorescence a cylindrical spike up to 23 cm in fruit, dense flowered, bracteate; 15-27 mm long, densely hairy; lobes linear-lanceolate, slender. Corolla blue to bluish-purple, tubular-campanulate, shorter than calyx in length; tube 10-12 mm long; limb c. 6 mm broad; lobes ovate-obtuse, c. 2.7 mm long. Anthers 2.8 mm long, elongated, attached c. the middle of corolla tube. Style c. length of tube, slender. Stigmas 2, capitate. Nutlets ± 33 mm long, ovoid, rugose tuberculate, acutish at one end, keeled.

Fl. Per.: June-July.

Type: Budrinath, Wallich 931! (K, E).

Distribution: Pakistan, N. W. India to Nepal.

A plant of alpine areas from 3000-3900 m.