Herbs perennial. Stems to 30 cm, sparsely retrorse floccose-pilose, nodes 2-4. Basal leaves numerous, upper leaves subsessile, gradually becoming bracts; petiole of basal leaves slender, 3-4 × as long as blade; leaf blade triangular-cordate, 2-5 × 1.5-4.5 cm, adaxially sparsely villous and finely papillate, abaxially ± purplish, sparsely villous along veins, veins conspicuous abaxially, base cordate, margin crenate, ciliolate, apex subrounded. Verticillasters in terminal capitula; bracts sessile, ovate-lanceolate to subcircular, to 1 cm, margin incised, ciliate, apex short spinescent. Calyx tubular-campanulate, slightly incurved, 1.2-1.5 cm × 4 mm, sparsely villous, ciliolate outside, glabrous inside, 5-toothed to 1/3 its length; middle tooth of upper lip trapeziform, ca. 4 × as wide as other teeth, apex ± truncate, 9-denticulate, slightly spinescent; lateral teeth of upper lip narrowly triangular; teeth of lower lip 2, lanceolate. Corolla ca. 2.5 cm, white floccose-villous; upper lip shorter than lower lip, apex 2-lobed; lower lip to 1 cm, 3-lobed, middle lobe ca. 2 × as wide as lateral lobes. Fl. Jul.

Possibly only a form of Dracocephalum purdomii; some specimens from Lu-pan Shan (Gansu Province) have extremely variable middle teeth on the adaxial calyx lips.

* Rocky crevices in streamside banks; 2700 m. Gansu (Lintao Xian, Xiahe Xian)