Herbs perennial, 20-50 cm. Rhizomes thick, with robust fibrous roots. Stems erect, much branched, densely retrorse puberulent especially on angles, internodes 2-4 cm. Leaves pinnatisect, subsessile, ovate, 1.5-3.5 × 0.6-3 cm, glabrous, adaxially shiny, abaxially puberulent especially on veins, yellow glandular; segments in 1-3 (or 4) pairs, linear, 1-2 mm wide, margin strongly involute. Spikes elongated, 2-10 cm, ± interrupted, of 2-4-flowered verticillasters; floral leaves slightly shorter than flowers, leaflike, numerous. Calyx purplish, narrowly funnelform-tubular, slightly curved, densely puberulent, sparsely yellow glandular, ca. 8 mm, to 1 cm in fruit, 2-lipped 1/3-1/2 its length; teeth lanceolate, apex acuminate, upper lip teeth divisions to 3/4 its length. Corolla purple, ca. 1.5 cm, densely villous, upper lip obovate. Nutlets dark brown, narrowly oblong, triquetrous, papillate. Fl. Sep, fr. Oct.