I.C. Hedge

Perennial, variable in facies, with a woody rootstock. Stems straggling or ± erect, 15-60 cm, branched, leafy, with a dense indumentum of long adpressed retrorse hairs. Leaves ovate, variable in size, 1.5-6 x 0.8-3.5 cm, ± regularly crenate to serrate, with long adpressed hairs above and a shorter denser indumentum below, petiole of lower leaves up to 1.5 cm less above. Verticillasters 2-6 (-8), usually distant from each other, 8-12-flowered, c. 15 mm in diameter. Bracts linear, 2-3 mm, adpressed to calyces, villous or tomcntose. Calyx 6 mm, tubular attenuate below, green, straight, pubescent to densely pilose, with short hairs within throat; teeth 10 ± equal in size, triangular mucronulate, 0.5-1 mm erect. Corolla white, c. 12 mm; upper lip straight or somewhat falcate, densely white-bearded; lower lip clearly longer than upper with a large median lobe; tube obliquely annulate within. Nutlets c. 2 x 1.8 mm, trigonous, pale.

Fl. Per.: June-October.

Type: "Hab. Napalia et in jugo Pundua dicto" [Wallich Cat. no. 2054, colls. Wallich & de Silva] (K).

Distribution: Pakistan, Himalayas, Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia, China.

Although Mukerjee (1940) recognized several varieties some of which, e.g. var. pilosa (Haimes) Mukerjee and var. scaberula Hook. f., were in our area, I prefer to recognize one variable species without any infraspecific taxa.