Herbs annual, 20--35 cm tall, drying slightly black. Stems 1 to several, erect or outer stems ascending, with 4 lines of hairs, often branched apically, branches 2--4 per node, dark purple. Stem leaves often in whorls of 4; petiole 5--10 mm; leaf blade oblong to elliptic-oblong, 2.5--5 X 0.8--2.5 cm, abaxially sparsely pubescent, adaxially glabrescent, pinnatisect; segments 5--12 pairs, oblong-lanceolate, pinnatifid, dentate. Inflorescences racemose, to 18 cm, with whorled flowers, interrupted; bracts leaflike. Calyx cylindric-campanulate, ca. 5 mm, slightly cleft anteriorly, glabrous; lobes 5, ± flabellate, 3-or 4-cleft, often reflexed, densely villous-ciliate. Corolla pale purple, with purple galea, 1.5--1.8 cm; tube erect; galea bent at a right angle apically, conspicuously crested; beak ca. 5 mm; lower lip ca. 8 mm X 1.2 cm, middle lobe hoodlike apically. Filaments glabrous. Capsule ovoid, ca. 1 cm, apex short acuminate. Fl. Jul--Aug, fr. Aug--Sep.
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