Herbs perennial, to 30 cm tall, stout, drying slightly black. Stems numerous, central one erect, outer stems procumbent to ascending, usually longer, striate, ± pubescent. Leaves mostly on stem, usually pseudo-opposite to pseudo-whorled; proximal petioles to 2.5 cm, narrowly winged, pubescent; leaf blade ovate-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, to 5 X 1.6 cm, abaxially sparsely long pubescent along veins, densely gray scurfy throughout, adaxially pubescent, pinnatisect; segments 5--11 pairs, ovate to lanceolate, pinnatifid, incised double dentate. Inflorescences 2/3--5/6 as long as stems; flowers numerous, dense apically; bracts leaflike. Calyx ca. 1.6 cm, ca. 1/2 cleft anteriorly, pubescent; lobes 3, pinnatifid to ± palmately lobed, posterior one smallest. Corolla purple-red; tube slender, 3.2--5.5 cm X ca. 1.2 mm, densely pubescent; galea strongly twisted apically; beak bent upward, S-shaped, to 1--1.5 cm; lower lip 1.8--2.4 cm wide, densely ciliate, middle lobe shallowly 2-lobed. Filaments densely pubescent. Fl. Aug--Sep, fr. Sep--Oct.
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