Perennial aromatic herb with a sturdy thick woody rootstock; tufts up to 30 cm across. Stems many, usually unbranched, c. 20-45 cm, erect or ascending, finely glandular-pilose, quadrangular, leafy. Leaves ovate to ovate-elliptic, c. 20-30 x 10-20 mm, rather stiff-textured, serrulate to regularly serrate, lowermost shortly petiolate, upper sessile, cordate or truncate, apically acute, with a ± dense indumentum above and below of short capitate glandular hairs; nervation prominent, raised on abaxial surface. Verticillasters 2-many-¬flowered, pedunculate or not, 2-8, distant. Bracts scarious, 5-6 mm, narrow ovate-elliptic to oblong-elliptic. Flowers sessile or almost so. Calyx 15-ribbed, finely glandular pubescent; tube c.5 mm long bearde limb green or bright purplish violet, wide-spreading, of ovate, finely reticulately nerved, membranous c. 15 x 7 mm broadly acute lobes. Corolla purplish blue or violet, 15-22 mm long; tube 12-17 mm, narrow. Stamens markedly didynamous. Nutlets broad oblong, c. 3 x 2 mm, brown, smooth, not trigonous, apically rounded, not mucilaginous on wetting.

Fl. Per.: April-July.

Type: Afghanistan, Ad Kalou et in colic Erak, Griffith (holo K!).

Distribution: E Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan.

Easily recognized by the glandular, serrate leaves, the large broad membranous lobes of the calyx and the long-tubed violet flowers.