Elsholtzia flava - Yellow Himalayan Mint

Yellow Himalayan Mint is an erect subshrub, 0.6-2.6 m tall. Branches are densely gray velvet-hairy. Leaf-stalk is 3-6 cm; leaf blade broadly ovate to sub-circular, 8-15 × 5.2-8.2 cm, above velvet-hairy especially on veins, below hairless, densely yellowish glandular, base rounded to shallowly heart-shaped, oblique, margin sawtoothed to rounded toothed, tip abruptly with a tapering tail. Flowers are borne in spikes at branch-ends and in leaf-axils, robust, 6-12 cm, stalked, densely gray velvet-hairy. Lower verticillasters are widely spaced; bracts broadly ovate, about 3 × 3 mm, sparsely finely velvet-hairy below, margin fringed with hairs, tip with a short sharp point. Flower-stalks are about 1 mm. Calyx is bell-shaped, about 3.5 mm, velvet-hairy, glandular outside, tip velvet-hairy inside; teeth subulate-linear, tip linear; fruiting calyx tubular-bell-shaped, to 6.5 × 2.5 mm. Flowers are yellow, about 6.5 mm, white hairy, glandular outside, bearded inside; tube about 4 mm, funnel-shaped, to 2 mm wide at throat; upper lip notched; middle lobe of lower lip nearly circular, margin erose; lateral lobes nearly oblong, rounded. Nutlets are dark brown, oblong, about 1 mm. Yellow Himalayan Mint is found in the Himalayas, from Kumaun to Sikkim, NE India, China, at altitudes of 1900-2700 m. Flowering: July-October.