Root thick, ± woody, vertical. Stems few or several, up to 200 cm, usually with few branches above, glabrous throughout or with scattered long flaccid eglandular hairs below. Leaves mostly basal, oblong to oblong-ovate in outline, most variable in dissection from subentire to pinnatisect to bipinnatifid with segments lobed or serrate; lamina c. 10-20 x 5-20 cm, on both surfaces with scattered long, flaccid or not, simple hairs; petioles with a rather dense indumentum shorter than on lamina. Cauline leaves few, dearly shorter than basal leaves. Verticillasters 8-14, 8-12-flowered, lower distant, upper approximating. Bracts several varying from narrow linear to ovate lanceolate, adpressed, usually 2-3 basally fused, spinulose or mucronate, 1/3-3/4 as long as calyces. Calyx c. 15 mm long, tubular campanulate, rigidly coriaceous in fruit, with long simple hairs and very small inconspicuous stellate dendroid hairs, often becoming glabrous at fruiting time; lobes horizontally truncate at incisions with 1-2.5 mm rigid spines. Corolla yellow, 25-30 mm; upper lip vinous, bearded at margin; lower lip ± equal to or slightly longer than upper; tube annulate within. Nutlets black, trigonous, truncate, c. 7 mm, apically densely-bearded.

Syntypes: [Afghanistan] Griffith 492 (K!).

Distribution: Afghanistan, Pakistan.

Very variable in the degree of leaf dissection, the quantity or persistence of bract and calyx indumentum, the shape and length of the bracts, and the length of the calyx teeth.