A branched biennial (or perennial) up to 70 cm tan with hispid-pubescent parts; shorter hairs soft, less than 0.5 mm long; longer hairs stiff, 1-4 mm long, spreading, with a tuberculate base. Basal leaves (of flowering shoots) usually withered, 80–150 x 5–12 mm, linear to oblanceolate, obtuse, hairy on both surfaces; middle and upper cauline leaves similar but smaller. Flowers in scorpioid cymes up to 15 cm long, elongating in fruit. Bracts leaf like, but smaller. Pedicels of lower flowers 4-5 mm long, densely hairy. Calyx 13-23 mm long, up to 28 mm in fruit, setosely hairy; lobes linear-lanceolate. Corolla yellow or creamy-yellow, 25–30 (–35) mm long, cylindrical-campanulate, glabrous; lobes 3-4 mm long, broad recurved, broadly triangular to deltoid. Nectiferous glands lobulate, glabrous. Filaments slender, attached 15-18 mm above corolla base; anthers included or subexserted from corona, 8-11 mm long, coherent at base. Style 20-30 mm long. Nutlets 44.5 mm long, shiny, ± smooth.

Fl. Per.: March-May.

Syntypes: Transcaucasia: Iberia prope Baku, C.A. Meyer s.n. (G); N. Iran: in monte Demavend prope Ask, Kotschy 383 (G, LE).

Distribution Turkestan, Afghanistan, Pakistan.

Often found in open stony hillsides and banks from 900-2400 m.