Perennial with a thick woody rootstock. Stems several, erect or ascending, 30-60 cm, quadrangular, glabrous or papillose glandular, slender above, with long internodes. Leaves mostly on lower part of stem, ovate to ovate-triangular, up to 3 x 2.5 cm but variable in size, crenate to serrate, truncate or cordate, acute, with a sparse to dense indumentum of eglandular to papillose glandular hairs; petiole on lower leaves to 5 mm, less above; leaves decreas-ing in size upwards. Inflorescence of distant pedunculate and sessile congest-ed cymes, sometimes showy. Bracts subulate, 2-4 mm. Flowers shortly pedi-cellate or subsessile. Calyx green or tinged violet, 6-10 mm long, tubular, ± straight, with a sparse eglandular or glandular indumentum, throat oblique; teeth unequal, triangular-acute; throat pilose. Corolla 15-25 mm, mauve to violet; tube curved, long-exserted from calyx; lower lip longer than upper. Nutlets darkish brown, c. 2.3 x 1.5 mm, finely depressed tuberculate with a lateral bilobed areole.

Fl. Per.: May-June.

Type: [Afghanistan] Peiwar Kota] to Karatigah, 2400-3000 m, Aitchison 447 (halo. K!; iso. C, E!, G!).

Distribution: Afghanistan, NW Pakistan.

A common and variable species in Afghanistan, where Rechinger (l.c. 155) recognizes 2 varieties: the type variety and var. honigbergeri (Rech. f.) Rech. f. There is a wide but continuous range of variation in several characters: calyx and corolla length and in indumentum density. The species should be looked for in the Kurram valley near the type locality.