Very aromatic much-branched shrub 0.9–3.6 m. tall, with adpressed scabridly pubescent slender branches, later glabrescent.. Leaves in pairs; blades ovate, elliptic, rhomboid or almost round, 0.5–2.5 cm. long, 0.3–1.5 cm. wide, rounded to acute at the apex, rounded to cuneate at the base, regularly and closely or sometimes more coarsely crenate or crenulate, rugose and with impressed venation above, scabrid with short tubercle-based hairs (very scabrid and with huge tubercles in most Somali material) and small glands, beneath scabrid with tubercle-based hairs on the raised venation or more softly pubescent and glandular; petioles 0–8 mm., mostly very short.. Inflorescences solitary or paired in upper and often lower axils and much overtopping the leaves; spikes globose to oblong, 1–2.2 cm. long; peduncles 2–5.5 cm. long in East Africa, but up to 7(–12 in one variant) cm. in Somali populations, pubescent to scabrid; bracts ovate to broadly elliptic, round or ± obovate, 4–5 mm. long, 2–4.3 mm. wide, acuminate or narrowly cuspidate, mostly densely adpressed silky pubescent and ciliate.. Calyx 1–1.2 mm. long, densely spreading pubescent.. Corolla white or cream with yellow eye; tube narrowly funnel-shaped from a very slender base, (2.5–)3.5–5 mm. long, pubescent and glandular on upper half; limb ± 3 mm. wide, the lobes rounded squarish, pubescent outside.. Fruits not seen.
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