Erect, herbaceous biennials or perennials from about 20-80 cm tall; stems subterete to angled, usually 4-angled, sometimes narrowly winged on the angles; branched above. Leaves basal and cauline, the basal often not persistent, cauline in distant pairs, from narrowly linear to broadly ovate-oblong. Inflorescence a cymose panicle, cymes often 3-flowered with the central flower on a short peduncle, sometimes with monochasial development; bracts linear to ovate-lanceolate, long acuminate, sometimes a pair of bracts occur just below the base of the flowers. Calyx divided almost to the base, longer than the corolla-tube; lobes long attenuate into an acicular point. Corolla usually a deep magenta pink, 1.3-2.5 cm long; tube short, tubular-campanulate; lobes much longer than the tube, abruptly narrowed to an acute or apiculate apex. Stamens inserted 1-2 mm below the rim of the corolla-tube, not clearly decurrent on the tube, free portion of filament 4-5 mm long, sometimes (rarely?) glandular at the base; anthers strongly twisted. Ovary narrowing into the style; style 2-1obed, lobes linear-oblong. Fruit subcylindric, shortly exserted from the persistent calyx and corolla-tube.
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