A suberect perennial herb up to 90 cm, with young shoots hairy and woody rootstock. Leaves nearly sessile or sometimes on up to 2.5 cm long, winged petiole; lamina elliptic or ovate-elliptic, 12-25 x 4-6.5. (-8) cm, hairy to glabrescent on both sides, basally attenuate, serrate, acuminate. Flowers dark blue to purple, c. 3.5 cm long, in capitate heads or condensed spikes; bracts small, orbicular-oblong, c. 7-8 mm long, caducous; bracteoles similar to but smallar than bracts. Calyx lobes 5, unequal, linear-oblong, 7-8 mm long, the longest lobe c. 1 cm long, glandular-pubescent to almost glabrous, obtuse, enlarged in fruit. Corolla glabrous, tube pale, curved, limb c. 1.5-1.8 cm across, with rounded lobes. Staminal filaments glabrous. Capsule oblong, c, 1.5 cm long, glandular-pubescent, 4-seeded. Seeds ovate, c. 4 mm long, silky hairy.

Fl. Per.: July-October.

Type: “Ad Simla, Indiae Orientalis” Lady Dalhousie s.n. (K).

Distribution: Pakistan and Northern India.

Common from 1800 to 2600 m in the northern mountains, bearing flowers annually.