2. Orthosiphon pallidus Royle ex Benth. in Hook., Bot. Misc. 3: 370. 1833. Benth., Lab. Gen. et Sp. 708. 1835; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 4: 613. 1885; Blatter et al. in Journ. Ind. Bot. 1: 235. 1921; Mukerjee in Rec. Surv. Ind. 14, 1: 23. 1940; Stewart in Pak. J. For. 99. 1957-58; Stewart, Ann. Cat. Vase. Pl. W. Pak. & Kashm. 627. 1972; Rech. f., Fl. Iran. 150: 576. 1982.
I.C. Hedge
Perennial herb with a woody rootstock, not aromatic [requires confirmation]. Stems diffusely branched, ascending-erect, 10-35 cm, slender, quadrangular, pubescent or almost glabrous. Leaves ovate, 1-2 (-3.5) x 1 (-2.5) cm, pale green, slightly fleshy, subentire to crenate-serrate, gland-dotted, cuneate to truncate, petiolate, pubescent to almost glabrous. Inflorescence usually unbranched, short. Verticillasters 5-7, c. 6-flowered, distant. Bracts 0.5-1 mm, ovate-oblong. Pedicels c. 2 inm spreading in flower, deflexed in fruit. Calyx 2-2.5 mm in flower, and up to 6 mm in fruit, pubescent in lower part, eglandular; throat glabrous; upper lobe ovate-orbicular; lower pair of teeth subulateattenuate, 2 mm in fruit. Corolla white or lilac, 5-6 mm; tube as long as calyx teeth. Stamens included. Nutlets pale brown, orbicular-ovoid, c. 1 x 1 mm, finely punctulate, mucilaginous on wetting.
Type: [India] "Banks of Jumna" Royle (UV - photo!).
Distribution: Arabian peninsula, Pakistan, India.
Clearly different from Ocimum rubicundus; in some respects intermediate between Ocimum and Orthosiphon. Stewart (1957-58 l.c.) comments that it is occasional about Rawalpindi after the rains.
