Herbs perennial, to 70 cm tall, glabrous, drying black. Rootstock fleshy. Stems erect, rigid, branched or not. Leaves alternate, occasionally pseudo-opposite; petiole to 10 cm; leaf blade often linear-lanceolate, to 7 cm X 9 mm, abaxially sparsely pubescent, adaxially densely hispidulous, long attenuate at both ends, finely double dentate. Inflorescences spicate; bracts leaflike. Calyx 1--1.5 cm, 1/2 cleft anteriorly, glabrous; lobes 2, triangular, ± entire. Corolla violet-red, 2.8--3.5 cm, sparsely fine pubescent; tube straight, to 2.2 cm; galea falcate, to 1.5 cm; beak scarcely conspicuous; lower lip to 1.4 X 1.1 cm, erose-serrulate. Filaments sparsely pubescent. Capsule obliquely lanceolate, ca. 1.4 cm X 4.5 mm, slightly longer than calyx, apex acute. Seeds black, triangular-ovoid, ca. 1.2 mm. Fl. Jul--Oct, fr. Aug--Nov