Herbs perennial, 12--24 cm tall. Roots fusiform. Stems often single, with 4 lines of hairs. Basal leaf petiole ca. 2.5 cm. Stem leaves in whorls of 4; petiole to 1.3 cm, sparsely pilose or glabrous; leaf blade narrowly oblong to linear-oblong, 1--1.5 cm, pinnatisect; segments 6--8(--13) pairs, ovate to lanceolate, pinnatifid to incised-dentate. Inflorescences capitate to short spicate, 2--5 cm; bracts leaflike basally. Calyx ca. 8 mm, 1/2--2/3 cleft anteriorly; lobes 5, unequal, densely pilose along veins and ciliate. Corolla yellow, ca. 2 cm; tube slightly decurved at middle, ca. 1 cm; galea strongly falcate apically, ca. 1 cm; beak slightly truncate and rounded, to 1.8 mm wide; lower lip ca. 6 mm X 1.2 cm, middle lobe ovate-triangular, smaller than lateral pair. 2 filaments sparsely pubescent near apex, 2 glabrous throughout; anthers apiculate. Fl. Jul, fr. Aug.