Perennial herb. Stems erect, 30-80 cm, usually branched, quadrangular, glabrous to minutely pilose with retrorse eglandular hairs, sometimes densely pilose-villous below inflorescence axis, leafy. Leaves green, triangular-ovate to elliptic, 30-60 x 20-30 mm, regularly crenate to senate, broad truncate to cordate, acute, abaxially with a thin indumentum of short eglandular hairs and with sessile oil globules; petiole up to 4 cm on lowermost leaves, decreasing above. Inflorescence of mainly terminal continuous congested oblong spikes up to 8 x 2 cm, subtended by small uppermost stem leaves. Outer bracts up to 4 mm broad, often purplish and showy, sometimes yellowish, broad ovate or trullate, long attenuate; innermost bracts linear-filiform as long as calyx. Calyx 6-8 mm, slender, tubular, almost glabrous to finely glandular-papillose, with or without oil globules; throat slightly oblique, villous within; teeth unequal, linear triangular, aristate, as long as tube. Corolla mauve to lilac-blue or white, 12-14 mm; tube exserted, curved; upper lip ± straight; lower lip shorter than upper. Nutlets (few seen) 1.3 x 0.9 mm, brown, broad oblong, rounded, minutely granular, matt with a transverse basal areole.

Fl. Per.: June-August.

Type: [NW India, Garwhal] Siranagur [Srinagar], Kamroop.

Distribution: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, NW India, Himalayas to Nepal, SW China.

Growing in a variety of habitats: open slopes, in forest areas, wet places. In some localities a very common plant, variable in size, leaf dimensions and flower colour, but recognized by the petiolate leaves, at least below, the generally sparse indumentum, the large outer bracts and the oblong congested spikes.