Phlomis agraria Bunge
Ledeb., Fl. Alt. 2:411 (1830)
Synonym:
Phlomoides agraria (Bunge) Adylov, Kamelin & Makhmedov

Distribution in the wild:
China, former USSR (Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Siberia), in steppe, and forest steppe, slopes and in plains, needle grass and fescue steppes and scrub.

Flowering in the wild: June-July
agraria means growing in the fields.
Smaller than P. tuberosa and without the large tubers characteristic of that species, but with thickened roots.

Herbaceous perennial 40-60 cm. Ropelike roots. Basal leaves triangular-cordate, upper surface green with simple hairs, lower surface stellate plus simple hairs, obtuse rounded teeth at margin, 8-10 × 4-6 cm; petioles 5-8 cm. Lower stem leaves, 5.5 × 3-3.5 cm; petioles 2-2.5 cm. Upper stem leaves similar but smaller, sessile. Many whorls on simple or branched stems, 10-12 flowered. Flowering parts glandular hairy. Bracteoles linear-subulate, spinescent, 8-9 mm, covered with multi-articulate spreading hairs. Calyx tubular-campanulate, 10-12 mm; teeth semiorbicular or rounded subulate-pointed; covered with small stellate hairs and long and short articulate hairs on the veins, with some glandular hairs. Corolla pink, rarely white. Nutlets hairy at apex.

P. agraria Bunge f. alba Trautvetter
A white coloured form.