Subshrubs or perennial herbs, to 1 m tall, slightly anisophyllous, becoming black when dry. Stems 4-angled, sulcate, glabrous or subglabrous. Petiole (0-)0.5-1.5(-4) cm; leaf blade lanceolate, 7-20 × 3-8 cm, glabrous, abaxially densely covered with white cystoliths along veins, adaxially cystoliths prominent, secondary veins 5-9 on each side of midvein, base cuneate and decurrent onto petiole, margin serrulate to crenate, apex acuminate. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, spikes, 5-12 cm; peduncle 2-4.5 cm, apically widened to ca. 1.6 cm to form base of bract; bracts lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 1.5-2 × 0.8-1.6 cm, glabrous or gland-tipped pubescent, pinnately veined, base gradually narrowed and decurrent onto peduncle, margin entire or slightly dentate, apex acute to acuminate; bracteoles narrowly lanceolate, 5-7 × ca. 0.8 mm, glabrous, apex acuminate. Flowers ca. 3 cm apart on rachis. Calyx 7-9 mm, glabrous, weakly 2-lipped; lower lip 2-lobed, lobes 6-8 mm; upper lip 3-lobed, lobes lanceolate, ca. 6 mm, and apex acuminate. Corolla purplish blue, 3-4 cm, outside glabrous, inside glabrous except for trichomes retaining style; tube basally cylindric and ca. 2.5 mm wide for ca. 1.4 cm and then gradually widened to ca. 1.8 cm at mouth; lobes ovate, ca. 6 × 5 mm, subequal, apex obtuse. Stamens 4, included; filaments pilose at base, shorter pair ca. 4 mm, longer pair ca. 7 mm; anther thecae oblong, ca. 2.5 × 1.5 mm; pollen type 3. Ovary glabrous; style ca. 2.4 cm, sparsely pubescent. Capsule fusiform, ca. 1.3 cm, glabrous, 4-seeded. Seeds white, ovate in outline, ca. 2 × 2 mm, densely appressed tomentose. Fl. Apr-May, fr. Jun-Jul.
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