Herb, 150-400 mm high, either annual or perhaps persisting for more than one season, taproot eventually woody, up to 3 mm diam., stem initially simple, later branching from the base and higher, clad in retrorse white hairs, leafy, often with axillary leaf tufts. Leaves mostly 15-40 x 1-3 mm, spreading, linear to narrowly elliptic, subacute, tapering to a petiole-like base in larger leaves, margins entire or with a few pairs of spreading lobes, thinly hairy. Flowers few to many in a spike, elongating in fruit, probably opening at dusk. Bracts adnate to calyx for 1.5-2.5 mm, resembling the upper leaves. Calyx 5-8 mm long, lips 3-3.5 mm long, pilose on upper margins and keels. Corolla tube 15-21 mm long, glandular-puberulous, hairs 0.1-0.25 mm long, limb held horizontally, regular; mouth not bearded; lobes 6-7 mm long, deeply notched, red and glandular-puberulous outside, white or pale pink inside, puberulous with conspicuous stalked glands. Stamens 4, 2 anticous anthers 0.7-1.1 mm long, shortly exserted, 2 posticous ones 1-2.5 mm long, included. Stigma 3-6 mm long, exserted. Capsules c. 7 x 2.5 mm. Seeds not seen. Flowers mainly between June and September.
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Annual or short-lived perennial, stems with retrorse hairs. Leaves narrow and thinly hairy. Flowers in a spike, tube 15-20 mm long, glabrous in mouth, lobes deeply notched, white or pink inside and red outside, probably opening at dusk, stamens 4.
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