Annual herb, taproot slender, crown unthickened, stems 25-130 mm long, simple or with 2-6 branches from the base, these branches simple or shortly branched near the base, erect or decumbent, clad in spreading gland-tipped hairs, closely leafy. Leaves mostly 8-20 x 5-15 mm, thick-textured, rhomboid-ovate, contracted to a broad petiole-like part, apex obtuse to subacute, recurved-spreading, margins entire or obscurely crenate to bluntly toothed in upper half, both surfaces nearly glabrous to sparsely hairy, some hairs gland-tipped, dark green above, beetroot red below, aromatic. Flowers opening at dusk or in dull light, spikes short, crowded. Bracts adnate to calyx for 2.5-3 mm, leaf-like, mostly larger than the leaves and increasing in size upwards. Calyx 7-10 mm long, lips 4-6 mm long, glandular-pubescent on upper margins and keels. Corolla tube 21-27 mm long, glandular-puberulous, hairs c. 0.1 mm long, limb held horizontally, regular; mouth with circlet of long unicellular hairs; lobes deeply notched, 5-6 mm long, dark red and glandular-puberulous outside, white and glabrous inside. Stamens 4, 2 anticous anthers 1.8-2 mm long, shortly exserted, 2 posticous ones 2.5-2.7 mm long, included. Stigma c. 4 mm long, exserted. Capsule (immature) 9 x 5.5 mm.
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