Perennial with a thick woody rootstock. Stems several, erect, 20.30 cm tall, usually unbranched, eglandular, lanate below, glandular above. Leaves mostly clustered at stem bases, oblong to linear-oblong, simple, c. 5-10 x 1-2.5 cm, lanate to pannose below, arachnid and green above, crenulate or entire, gradually tapered to base, sessile. Inflorescence showy, usually unbranched of few 4-8-flowered distant verticillasters. Bracts conspicuous, broadly ovate, acuminate, 15 x 15 mm, usually greenish violet. Pedicels c. 3 mm, erect-spreading. Calyx tubular, 11 mm, with a dense indumentum of long eglandular and shorter glandular hairs; upper lip with 3 subequal mucronate teeth, truncate; lower lip with 2 acuminate mucronate teeth. Corolla dark violet or clear blue, 20-25 mm long; tube c. 10 mm long, neither invaginated nor squamulate; upper lip falcate; lower lip cucullate. Lower theca sterile, dolabriform. Nutlets brown with reticulate veining, 2.5 x 2 mm.

Fl. Per.: April-July.

Type: [India, Garwhal] "Hurdwar to Sirinagur, Adwaanee, Hardwicke.

Distribution: Pakistan, NW India, Nepal.

A very distinctive species on account of its habit, the white leaf indumentum and large violet flowers. Its nearest and undoubted allies are geographically far distant in NW Iran, the Caucasus, Turkey, Spain and NW Africa.