Herbs perennial, 15--55 cm tall. Roots conical, with a tuft of fibrous roots near apex. Stems pubescent. Leaves in whorls of 3 or 4, petioles and bract bases greatly dilated, connate, cupular, to 5 cm high; leaf blade long elliptic, to 14 X 4 cm, abaxially sparsely ciliate along veins, pinnatisect; segments incised-dentate. Inflorescences spicate; bracts leaflike apically, pinnatilobate, pubescent. Calyx ca. 1.5 cm, long pubescent, deeply cleft anteriorly; lobes 2, oblong-lanceolate, 2--3 mm, incised-serrate to entire. Corolla purple-red, 5--6 cm; tube bent at a right angle apically, 3.5--5(--6) cm X 2--2.5 mm, slender; galea strongly bent, not crested; beak curved inward, ca. 7 mm; lower lip wider than long, ± enveloping galea, middle lobe entire. Filaments pubescent throughout. Fl. May--Jul, fr. Jul--Aug.