Herbs, subshrubby, 0.5-3.7 m. Stems terete, fistulose, tomentose. Cauline leaves alternate, sessile; blade oblanceolate or oblong (uppermost often narrowly elliptic or lanceolate), 7-33 × 2.2-8.4 cm, thickly papery, both surfaces hispidulous, base cuneate or attenuate into a petioloid base, margin serrulate or crenulate, apex acuminate, acute, or obtuse. Racemes densely paniculate; flowers oriented toward one side, erect; bracts lanceolate, narrowly elliptic, narrowly oblong, or linear, 10-30 mm, shortly pannose; pedicels 5-12 mm, terete, pannose, twisted toward posterior side, usually bibracteolate near base (rarely at middle). Hypanthium campanulate or hemispherical, 3-6.5 × 3-6 mm, densely pannose, base rounded or truncate (rarely obtuse); calyx lobes linear-triangular, 7-16 × 0.7-2.5 mm, margin entire or with 1-4 denticles per side. Corolla sub-bilabiate, white (rarely tinged pale pink or pale blue), 2-3.4 cm, outside shortly pannose, inside villous; upper lobes linear, ca. 2/3 as long as total length of corolla; lower lobes wider, ca. 1/3 as long as total length of corolla. Stamens connate into tube above base; filament tube densely puberulent; anther tube 5-7.5 mm, densely villous along sutures; lower 2 anthers barbate at top. Capsule pendulous, subovoid or broadly ellipsoid, 6-13 × 5-9 mm, densely puberulent. Seeds elliptic, compressed, finely striate, margin pale in color. Fl. and fr. Nov-Apr.

This species is closely related to Lobelia rosea Wallich of the E Himalaya, which differs in its narrowly elliptic leaves only 2-3.5 cm wide; typically ebracteolate pedicels; pink, pale rose, or mauve corolla; and shorter staminal column (filament tube 10-15 mm, anther tube 3-5 mm).

Grassy slopes, forests, roadsides; 700-1800 m. SW Guizhou (Anlong), S Yunnan [NE India, Laos, N Myanmar, N Thailand, Vietnam].