Shrub up to 40 cm tall; branches ascending, reddish brown, tips of shoots tomentose. Leaves 1-2 cm long, 5-10 mm broad, obovate to elliptic, obtuse, apiculate, coriaceous, subsessile. Flowers in terminal spikes up to 5 cm long or in capitate heads. Calyx tube c. 9 mm long, pubescent, 4 lobed, constricted above the ovary, base with dense long silky hairs; lobes c. 3.5 mm long, acute, pubescent. Stamens 8, 2 seriate. Ovary c. 2 mm long, ovoid, tip pubes-cent; style c. 1 mm long; stigma c. size of style. Fruit c. 4 mm long, densely woolly.

Type: “Hab. in Persia”, Delessert, Herb. Vahl (C-not seen).

Distribution: Europe, Caucasus, Mesopotamia, C. Asia, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, W. Pakistan and Kashmir.