Annual or perennial herb, densely covered throughout with spreading fairly long stiff hairs. Leaves radical, oblong-lanceolate, 3-10 cm long, l-3 cm broad, deeply sinuate-margined to pinnatifid or pinnatisect; terminal lobe piliferous. Scape dichotomously branched in the upper part or nearly at the top, broadly winged, produced at the nodes into 2-3 linear foliaceous appendages. Spikes compact. Spikelets 3-4-flowered. Outer bract narrowly triangular, 6-9 mm long, membranous, subulately acuminate; first inner bract slightly longer and much broader than the outer bract, herbaceous, strongly convex with two ciliate dorsal heads, and produced into 2-3 large, 2-3-toothed appendages; other inner bracts like the outer bract. Calyx funnel-shaped; tube puberulous; limb truncate, violet or yellow; nerves terminating below the margin. Petals pale white.

Fl. Per.: May-September.

Type: Described from Italy, S. Spain and Greece (Hb.Linn. 395/33).

Cultivated in W. Pakistan. Native of Mediterranean area.