Roots stout, to 2 cm in diam. Stems usually branched above, 20-100 cm tall, appressed pubescent. Basal petioles complanate, narrowly winged, subglabrous, oblong-elliptic to oblong-linear, 8-25(-35) cm, sparsely short appressed pubescent, base attenuate; lower stem leaves petiolate, sublinear; upper stem leaves sessile or nearly so, narrowly lanceolate. Inflorescences 3-7 cm, to 20 cm in fruit, densely appressed pubescent. Pedicel 2.5-4 mm, to 3 cm in fruit. Calyx lobes slightly unequal, subulate-linear, 5-6 mm. Corolla purple or purplish red, 8-11 mm, glabrous; tube straight, ca. as long as calyx; throat appendages scaly, glabrous; lobes linear-obovate, 3.5-4.5 mm. Filaments filiform, ca. 2 mm; anthers linear-oblong, ca. 3 mm, 2-mucronulate at apex. Ovary 4-parted. Style 1.2-1.5 cm, usually slightly curved, base sparsely pubescent, capitate. Nutlets ca. 6 mm; basal disc triangular-ovate, ca. 5 mm, with reduced glochids and a prominent center line, margin and abaxially with dense glochids. Seeds yellowish brown, ovoid.

Meadows, forests, canyons; 1200-2800 m. C and W Gansu, Xinjiang, NW Xizang [Afghanistan, N India, Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan]