Perennial, herbaceous. Stems erect, 30-60 (-100) cm, unbranched, with numerous long, simple, spreadig eglandular hairs, sometimes mixed with long glandular hairs especially above, leafy. Leaves green, 3-6 (-9) x 2-3 (-4) cm, ovate to oblong-elliptic, regularly crenate or crenulate, cordate, acute, with a dense or sparse covering of long eglandular hairs. Verticillasters many-flowred, in the axils of the smaller upper leaves, distant below, approximating above. Bracts linear-oblong, acuminate. Calyx green or purplish, 6-10 mm, triangular-campanulate, villous, with or without some glandular hairs, not bilabiate; teeth erect, equal, 3-4 mm, triangular, acuminate-spinulose; throat of tube with some villous hairs. Corolla pale pink to pinkish purple, 10-17 mm; upper lip straight, sericeous; lower lip 3-lobed, clearly longer than upper. Stamens usually included under upper lip of corolla. Style shortly 2-fid. Nutlets brown, oblong ovoid, c. 2 x 1.7 mm, apically rounded.

Fl. Per.: June-August.

Type: [India] Kumaon, R. Blinkworth (K).

Distribution: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir to Bhutan, NW India.

Records of Stachys melissifolia Benth. from our area apparently stem from misidentifications of Stachys emodi.