I.C. Hedge

Sturdy erect perennial with a woody rootstock (or tuber?). Stems (17)30-80 cm mostly solitary and unbranched, quadrangular, glabrous, with very short adpressed retrorse hairs or with numerous villous hairs, leafy. Leaves linear to linear-lanceolate, (30-) 80-160 x 3-20 mm, sessile, cordate or not, amplexicaul or connate, entire-margined, acute-acuminate, thick-textured, with a prominent mid-vein, glabrous or pilose. Inflorescence a short or elongated ± continuous spike, 4-12 cm long, showy. Inner bracts linear, membranous, almost as long as calyces. Flowers congested. Pedicels 1-12 mm. Calyx 11-16 mm, thin-textured, slender, with short glandular and long villous eglandular hairs; throat straight; teeth subequal as long as or longer than tube, linear, with long awns, ciliate. Corolla mauve to blue violet, 20-25 mm; tube exserted, somewhat curved, widening to c. 4 mm wide at throat; upper lip hooded; lower lip reflexed, sometimes violet. Nutlets c. 1.5 x 1.3 mm, chestnut-brown, smooth, shining, oblong-orbicular, somewhat flat-trigonous with a small areole.

Fl. Per.: July-September.

Type: Kashmir, Royle (LIV!).

Distribution: Pakistan, Kashmir, NW India.

A handsome and distinct species almost restricted to Kashmir where it is common.