Brittle shrub to about 2 m tall, often with purple colouring. Leaves broadly ovate to ovate-elliptic, blades mostly 6-14 cm long, 4-10 cm wide, narrowed abruptly at the base; margin regularly round-toothed; stalk to 5 cm long. Flower clusters cylindrical, 8-25 cm long, often several together. Flowers mostly in 3s, often forming whorls of 6 flowers well separated along the axis. Corolla expanding abruptly near the base to form a spur, pale mauve, speckled with dark purple; late summer to early autumn.

S Africa

 

P. ecklonii Benth. is very similar but has both leaves and flowers widening gradually from the base, and the corolla tube without a spur.

Source: Lumley, P. (2002). Origanum. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.