Leucas ciliata var. ciliata

Tufted Leucas is a herbs 1-3 ft tall, with hairs yellowish to golden yellow. Stems are slender, usually branched at apex, sometimes branched basally. Leaf blade lance-like, 6-9 x 1-3 cm, base broadly wedge-shaped to rounded, margin remotely, shallow serrate, with a tapering tip. Flowers occur in few, widely spaced, many flowered, spherical clusters, 1.5-2.5 cm in diameter. Sepal tube is 1 cm, densely hairy, sepals spiny, spreading starlike in fruit, to 3 mm. Flowers white or purple, to 2.8 cm, 2-lipped. Upper lip 6 mm, densly covered with yellowish brown hairs. Lower lip is pure white, 3-lobed. Nutlets brown, ovoid. Tufted Leucas is found in the Himalayas from Nepal to Bhutan, NE India, Burma, at altitudes of 1200-2300 m. It is also found in Western Ghats. Flowering: July-October.