Annual, rather flaccid. Stems 8-45 cm, ± erect, usually unbranched, finely eglandular pilose. Leaves green or greyish green, sometimes tinged purple, variable in size up to 30 x 25 mm, broadly ovate to oblong-ovate, with scattered eglandular hairs on both surfaces, sometimes with few sessile oil globules beneath; petiole on lower leaves up to 25 mm, much decreasing above. Cymes loose, distant, long pedunculate, 4-10-flowered. Bracts 2-2.5 mm, narrow linear. Pedicels up to 5 mm. Calyx 6-7 mm, often purplish, ± broad tubular, basally gibbous, in fruit somewhat enlarged and membranous-inflated, shortly spreading-eglandular-pilose; throat with some vinous hairs; teeth subequal 1.5-2 mm, narrow triangular-acuminate. Corolla lilac-blue, mauve or whitish, 6-7 mm, scarcely exserted from calyx teeth. Nutlets c. 1 x 1.2 mm, pale to dark brown, prominently tuberculate, basally clearly concave with a broad ventral areole.

Fl. Per.: April-May.

Type: [C Asia] Turkestan, Mongol-Tau mounains, Sewerzow (lecto. LE - n.v.).

Distribution: Iran, Afghanistan, Soviet C. Asia, Pakistan.

An unmistakable species on account of the basally oblique-inflated calyces and the nutlet shape. Pojarkova (l.c. Addenda 349) created a new monotypic subfamily Drepanocaryoideae to accommodate it, based on the structure of the ovary disc and the attachment and shape of the nutlets. Such a high taxonomic status seems unwarranted, as the species shares so many other characters with Nepeta. Generally it is found in shady places, under rocks or bushes; it can vary greatly in size depending on its habitat. A very common plant in Afghanistan, but only known from a few gatherings in our area; probably under-collected.