Perennial, suffrnticose herb, 20-30 cm long, erect, or prostrate-procumbent, branches hirsute or pubescent, older generally white, ± glabrous. Leaves 6-8 in a whorl, 5-8 (-10) x 0.5-1.5 mm, linear-narrowly elliptic, revolute, acute, sessile, shortly scabrid, fleshy. Inflorescence terminal heads or fascicles, many-flowered, bracts foliaceous, c. 7 x 2 mm, broadly ovate-lanceolate, or oblong-lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, united at base, revolute, scabrid. Flowers purplish, pale yellow-greenish, up to 1 cm long. Corolla-tube 7-8 mm long, 3-4 times longer than lobes, lobes ovate, tips incurved and thickened or somewhat cucullate. Anthers 5, inserted at the mouth of corolla tube, filament c. 1 mm long. Style c. 7 mm long, bifid, branches unequal; stigma globose. Fruit oblong, glabrous or hirsute, 2.5-3 mm long.

Fl. Per.: May-June.

Type: In colibus lapidosis Iberiae, circa Tiflis, M. Bieberstein (LE).

Distribution: Turkey, Turcomania, Transcaucasia, Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan.

A highly polymorphic species specially in habit and pubescence of flower. A number of infraspecific taxa have been recognized by different authors (Ehrend., 1.c.). In Pakistan it seems to be a rare taxon and only one specimen from Kurram (Aitch. 517) has been seen, which is very near to subsp. capitata (Labill.) Ehrend.