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Spikes 5–12 mm long and wide, hemispherical, increasing to c. 15 mm long and becoming cylindrical; peduncles ascending, paired and up to 6.5 cm long from the lower nodes, shorter when produced later in the leaf axils, indumentum densely hispid-pubescent as in the stems; bracts appressed imbricate, the lowermost not leaf-like, 5–8.5 × 1.5–4 mm, ovate acuminate or lanceolate, becoming narrower and attenuate in the upper bracts, ± equalling the flowers they subtend, the indumentum densely hispid-pubescent as in the upper stems.
Leaves decussate, petiolate; lamina up to 4 × 2.5 cm, broadly elliptic to broadly obovate or rhomboid, rounded-obtuse to shortly acuminate at the apex, ± broadly cuneate at the base, crenulate to crenate-serrate in the upper half to two thirds and entire below, nervation impressed above and strongly raised beneath, ± densely strigose on upper surface, patent-hispid with hairs densest on the nerves beneath; petiole up to 7 mm long.
Corolla bright lemon-yellow or white with a yellow centre, or in var. nyikensis deep magenta; tube 3–5 mm long, pubescent in upper half and with pubescent throat; limb c. 2-lipped, 3–4 mm wide, the upper lip rounded entire, the lower one 3-lobed, the largest lobe 1.5–2 mm long, entire.
Stems 1–numerous, 1–15 cm tall at flowering, increasing to 25 cm later in the season; indumentum densest on young growth, hispid, of unequal acicular setae.
Mericarps ovoid, very convex, 2–2.5(3) × 1.25–2 mm, brownish and slightly shining outside, flat and white inside.
Inflorescences produced before the leaves from nodes near ground level, later also from upper leaf axils.
Calyx c. 1.5–3 mm long, 2-lobed, ± densely white patent hairy outside.
Pyrophyte with short annual stems from a large woody rootstock.
