Herbs perennial, to 60 cm tall or more, drying black. Stems 1 to several, hollow, pubescent, shallowly striate; branches often in whorls of 4. Petiole of basal leaves to 9 cm, subglabrous; leaf blade to 12 X 5.5 cm, membranous; segments 8--20 pairs, ovate to linear-oblong, margin double dentate, apex acute. Stem leaves smaller than basal leaves, shorter petiolate or ± sessile, lanceolate-elliptic. Inflorescences 6--16 cm, ± interrupted; bracts leaflike, longer than calyx. Calyx ca. 5.5 mm; lobes 5, narrowly triangular, often entire. Corolla purple; tube longer than calyx; galea bent at a right angle apically; beak ca. 7 mm; lower lip ca. 1.4 cm, ciliate. Filaments pubescent. Capsule ovoid-lanceolate, ca. 9 X 3.5 cm. Fl. Aug, fr. Aug--Sep.

* E Gansu, W Sichuan.