I.C. Hedge

Slender erect or ascending annual or short-lived perennial. Stems simple or branched, 30-60 cm, quadrangular, with short adpressed retrorse eglandular hairs. Leaves ovate to ovate-triangular, thin-textured, c. 25-30 x 16-20 mm, eglandular pilose to villous with numerous oil globules on abaxial surface, crenate to serrate, truncate to cordate, acute; petiole slender, up to 20 mm on lower stem leaves, less above. Inflorescence of few-flowered, lax cymes on very slender ± filiform peduncles and pedicels; lowermost cymes borne in axils of leaves. Peduncles horizontally spreading or spreading-erect up to 25 mm. Bracts linear-subulate, ciliate, shorter than calyces. Pedicels up to 3.5 mm. Calyx c. 4.5 mm, eglandular pilose with scattered oil globules; throat oblique, villous within; teeth unequal, subulate from a narrow triangular base, longest as long as calyx tube. Corolla 7-9 mm, pink or lilac; tube exserted from calyx. Nutlets 1.2 x 0.6 mm, brown, broad ellipsoid, flat-tuberculate, somewhat flattened, with a bibbed areole c. 1/3 length of nutlet.

Type:[NW India, Saharanpur, Haridwar] Hurdwar, ann. 1825, Wallich (K).

Distribution: Pakistan, Kashmir, NW India.

With the limited amount of available material (the description above is largely based on a few Indian specimens), this seems to merit specific distinction from Nepeta hindostana; mainly on the slender habit, lax inflorescence and, especially, the short areole on the more pronouncedly tuberculate nutlets. But undoubtedly they are very closely related and would repay further investigation.