Herbs annual. Stems usually branched from base, 5-25 cm tall; branches ascending to decumbent, hispid, short strigose, with glandular hairs. Leaves sessile, hispid, sparsely hirsute. Basal and lower stem leaves linear-oblanceolate, 3-6 cm × 4-10 mm; upper stem leaves linear-lanceolate, smaller. Inflorescences to 15 cm after anthesis, short strigose and hirsute. Pedicel ca. 3 mm; bracts linear-lanceolate, 1.5-5 cm. Calyx 5-8 mm, 5-parted to middle; lobes lanceolate-triangular. Corolla purple-red, 0.8-1.2 cm; appendages below throat 2-lobed; limb to 1/3 as long as tube; lobes ovate to suborbicular, margin entire or subdentate. Stamens inserted slightly above middle in corolla tube, included; anthers ca. 1.4 mm. Style ca. 4 mm; stigma subglobose, slightly 2-cleft. Gynobase slightly convex. Mature nutlets black-brown, reniform, ca. 4 mm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent before maturity, horizontally wrinkled, apex keeled; attachment scar cupular, margin finely dentate. Seeds gray-brown, reniform; radicle superior; cotyledons obovate-oblong. 2n = 16, 28, 44.