Herbs, 7-50 cm tall. Lateral roots numerous, fascicled, to 16 cm, 1-2 mm in diam., with few fibrous roots. Rhizomes elongated to 6 cm or shortened and thick. Stems 1 to few, stout, longer than leaves. Basal leaves 4-8; petiole long, base sheathlike; leaf blade ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 4-11 cm, margin entire or sparsely and irregularly serrulate. Stem leaves 3-11, subsessile, much smaller than basal leaves, margin entire or obscurely incised. Spikes 5-15 cm; bracts ovate to ovate-lanceolate, gradually decreasing in size upward, shorter than calyx, margin entire. Calyx large, longer than corolla tube, apex of upper side 2-lobed, lobes obtuse-triangular, ciliolate. Corolla pale yellow, green-white, or rarely purple, 5-8 mm; tube conspicuously curved forward, longer than limb; lower lip 2-lobed, lobes lanceolate; upper lip unlobed, elliptic, apex entire or emarginate. Style included. Fruit black, conical, 5-6 mm. Seeds 2. Fl. and fr. Jun-Aug.
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