Herbs annual or biennial, 20--40(--45) cm tall, pubescent throughout, not drying black. Roots single, ± woody. Stems usually several, with 4 lines of hairs. Basal leaves persistent; petiole to 2.5 cm, densely pubescent. Stem leaves in whorls of 4, shorter petiolate; leaf blade oblong, sometimes ovate, to 3 X 1.4(--2) cm, pinnatisect; segments ca. 10 pairs, lanceolate, pinnatipartite, dentate, teeth callose. Inflorescences to 25(--30) cm, with many whorls, compact to interrupted; proximal bracts leaflike, other bracts 3-palmate. Pedicel short. Calyx ovoid, membranous, slightly cleft anteriorly; lobes 5, unequal, triangular, serrate. Corolla purple-pink to purple-red, sometimes white, ca. 1.5 cm; tube decurved near base, ca. 2 X as long as calyx, expanded apically; galea ± falcate, ca. 6 mm, usually crenulate-crested, apex slightly acute; lower lip slightly longer than galea, lobes rounded, middle lobe smallest, ± emarginate. 2 filaments pubescent, 2 glabrous. Capsule slightly exceeding calyx, obliquely ovoid, apiculate. Fl. Jun--Aug, fr. Jul--Sep.

* Gravelly ground and grassy slopes in subalpine zone, damp grassy areas along field margins, damp slopes, valleys; 1800--4600 m. S and SW Gansu, Qinghai, W Sichuan, E, N, and NE Xizang, Yunnan