Perennial herb. Stems erect, 30-60 cm, branched, quadrangular, ± densely covered with long eglandular white hairs and with or without very short glandular papillae, leafy. Leaves narrow or broadly elliptic, 15-35 x 8-18 mm, pectinate-serrate, broad truncate or cordate, apically rounded, with an eglandualr pilose or villous indumentums mostly confined to the veins beneath and with numerous sessile glands, above almost glabrous; all leaves sessile or with a petiole to 0.5 mm. Inflorescence of terminal and lateral condensed spikes, occasionally lowermost verticillasters distinct, up to 10 x 1-1.5 cm. outer bracts ovate-lanceolate to broad obovate, up to 6 x 4 mm. Pedicels ± adpressed, to 4 mm. Calyx narrow tubular-obtriangular, eglandular pilose with or without sessile glands and minute glandular papillae; throat oblique; teeth unequal, linear, subulate, ciliate, as long as calyx tube. Corolla pale mauve or bluish, 10-15 mm. Nutlets 1.5 x 0.9-1 mm, ellipsoid, rounded above and below, brownish black, shiny, somewhat flattened, with a bibbed basal areale.

Type: [NW India] Syen range, Hoyle (LIV!).

Distribution: Pakistan, Kashmir, NW India (Simla region), (?Himalayas, Nepal).

The sessile apically rounded leaves with regularly pectinate-serrate margins and the spicate inflorescences are characteristic for the species. It approaches Nepeta subincisa (in which the leaves are petiolate) and some earlier records of Nepeta ellipnca from Afghanistan and Pakistan (e.g. Hedge & Lamond, l.c., Stewart, l.c. and Hechinger, l.c.) are probably based on misidentifications of Nepeta subincisa. Field observations and further collections are needed to establish whether the two taxa intergrade. Nepeta elliptica may be more widespread than the two records cited would suggest.