Plants perennial. Rhizomes woody. Stems erect, 30-50 cm, finely striate, sparsely pubescent, angles densely so. Petiole of mid stem leaves 2.5-5.5 cm; leaf blade broadly ovate-cordate, palmately 7-lobed, gray pubescent, densely so along margin and on veins abaxially otherwise yellowish glandular, base cordate, margin coarsely dentate, apex acute; upper leaves gradually reduced, ovate, similar to basal leaves but with shorter petioles. Verticillasters many flowered, subglobose, less than 2 cm in diam.; bracts purplish, spiny, spreading or reflexed, to 7 mm, base slightly dilated. Flowers sessile. Calyx dark purple, campanulate-tubular, ca. 6 mm, base stramineus, densely gray puberulent, veins inconspicuous; teeth broadly triangular-subulate, anterior teeth subequal, ca. 2 mm, spreading. Corolla reddish, to 1.2 cm, gray pubescent; tube ca. 7 mm, villous annulate inside, dilated beyond annulus, to 2.5 wide at throat; upper lip obovate, ca. 5 × 2.5 mm, concave, incurved; lower lip obliquely spreading, ca. 4 mm, lobes ovate, middle lobe larger. Ovary brown, apex truncate, villous. Fl. Jun.