Roots fibrous ending in prominent tubers. Stems c. 50 cm, few to several, usually unbranched, with an indumentum of small stellate-dendroid hairs. Leaves pinnatisect with entire rounded ultimate segments and a sparse indumentum of simple flaccid hairs (in ours). Verticillasters 5-10, 8-10-flowered. Bracts subulate, 2-3 mm. Calyx 12-15 mm, tubular-campanulate, with a dense indumentum of short stellate-dendroid hairs; teeth subtruncate with 1-2.5 mm spines. Corolla 30-35 mm, whitish or pale yellow with a darker lower lip clearly longer than upper lip.

Type: Not indicated.

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

This is a frequent plant throughout most of Afghanistan, but apparently rare in our area.

Its characteristic features are the prominent tubers on the roots, the pale coloured galea with darker labellum and the labellum clearly longer than the galea.

There is doubt about the presence of this species in our area. The Lace specimen cited above is without any field-note data on the label which merely bears the printed title "Flora of Baluchistan and Assigned Districts". The specimen consists of part of an inflorescence shoot and a separate leaf. The much dissected leaf has none of the stellate-dendroid hairs characteristic of Eremostachys labiosa although the flowers have the typical long corolla lower lip. The possibility of a mixed gathering or a misplaced label cannot be excluded.