Herbs annual. Stems erect, 32-44 cm, purple, glabrous, subterete toward base. Stem leaves 3-5-foliolate; petiole 2-9(-10) cm, adaxially spreading villous, abaxially glabrous, petiolule 2-15 mm; leaflets ovate, 1.2-4 × 0.7-3 cm, lateral leaflets ± oblique, adaxially minutely hispid or subglabrous, abaxially subglabrous or pilose along veins, glandular, margin serrate. Verticillasters 2-6-flowered, 1-2.5 cm apart, in racemes or panicles to 19 cm; bracts lanceolate, lower much longer than flowers, gradually shorter upward to almost as long as pedicels, abaxially conspicuously glandular. Pedicel 2-3 mm, glandular pilose. Calyx campanulate, 5-6 mm, glandular pilose, with 2 rows of hairs on middle of upper lip inside, tube ca. 4.5 mm; upper lip triangular, ca. 1.5 × 2.5 mm; lower lip slightly longer than upper, ca. 1.8 × 2.5 mm, shallowly 2-toothed; teeth triangular, apex spinescent; fruiting calyx slightly dilated. Corolla purplish blue or reddish white, 9-10 mm, glandular pilose; tube imperfectly pilose annulate inside, tubular, ca. 1 mm wide, gradually dilated to 2 mm wide at throat; upper lip nearly straight, oblong, ca. 3 × 2.2 mm; lower lip slightly longer than upper lip, lobes circular, subequal. Stamens exserted; filaments ca. 1.5 mm; connectives ca. 4 mm, upper arms ca. 3 mm. Nutlets brown, ellipsoid, ca. 1.8 mm, adaxially ribbed. Fl. and fr. Aug.

Related in the original description to Salvia scapiformis.

* Tufts of grass. Fujian (Chong'an Xian)