Herbs annual, 10--20 cm tall, ± woody at base when old, not drying black. Stems numerous, fascicled, central stem erect, outer ones ascending, unbranched, with 2 lines of hairs. Basal leaves few, withering early; petiole to 2.5 cm. Stem leaves often only 1 pair or absent; petiole 0.6--1.5 cm; leaf blade elliptic-oblong to lanceolate-oblong, 0.7--1.8 cm X 2--8 mm, glabrescent on both surfaces, pinnatipartite, segments ca. 5 pairs, ovate, incised-dentate. Inflorescences to 9 cm, with 1--6 flower pairs; bracts leaflike. Pedicel ca. 6 mm, elongated to 1.1 cm in fruit, glabrescent. Calyx urceolate-ovate, ca. 1 cm X 3.5--4 mm, sparsely whitish pubescent along veins; lobes 5, unequal. Corolla rose-red, with yellow at tube apex and galea base; tube 2.7--3 cm, pubescent; galea falcate apically, shorter than tube; beak 5--6 mm, slightly recurved, slender; lower lip 8--9 mm X ca. 1.4 cm, ciliate, middle lobe smaller than lateral pair, hoodlike. Filaments glabrous. Capsule ca. 1.3 cm X 6.5 mm, slightly exceeding calyx, apex acuminate. Fl. Jul, fr. Jul--Aug.