Stems ca. 36 cm tall, sparsely retrorse bristly, densely bristly on nodes and just below flowers. Leaves sparsely bristly. Petiole of basal leaves 1-6 cm, others 0.6-1.1 cm, sparsely retrorse bristly; basal leaf blade ovate-triangular to ovate, 3-5 × 2.8-3.3 cm, base cordate, margin deeply crenate or dentate, apex rounded to acute; stem leaves 1-paired, blade ovate-lanceolate, ca. 4 × 2 cm, base broadly cuneate, margin irregularly dentate, apex acute. Verticillasters solitary, apical, many flowered; floral leaves lanceolate, ca. 4.5 × 1.2 cm, base cuneate, margin irregularly remote dentate, apex acuminate; bracts linear-subulate, 6-10 mm, margin ciliate, spinescent. Calyx tubular-campanulate, ca. 14 × 6 mm, dusty puberulent outside except for sparsely bristly veins; teeth spines spreading, 4-5.5 mm; sinus teeth tufted hairy, apex puberulent. Corolla reddish, ca. 1.9 cm, pilose; tube glabrous outside, villous annulate inside; upper lip ca. 9 mm, margin denticulate, pilose outside, densely bearded inside; lower lip ca. 7 × 8 mm, middle lobe largest, broadly obovate; lateral lobes circular-ovate. Stamens included, puberulent; posterior filament appendages reflexed, lingulate. Nutlets sparsely scaly. Fl. Jun.

* Montane steppes; ca. 2600 m. Gansu.