Annual or perennial erect or ascending herb. Stems 5–45 cm. long, usually sparsely branched, ribbed, ± pubescent with upturned hairs. Leaves alternate, fairly numerous and densely set, ± erecto–patent, linear, up to 8–15(25) x 0·8–1·5(2·5) mm., acute at the apex, harshly strigulose mainly along margins and on midrib beneath; margin incrassate, entire or rarely with one pair of denticles; midvein prominent beneath. Flowers resupinate, solitary, axillary or apparently terminal, confined to the upper part of the plant; pedicels 15–55 mm. long, pubescent with forwardly directed hairs; bracteoles resembling small leaves, sometimes opposite. Hypanthium hemispherical or broadly obconical, ± 10–nerved, appressed pubescent. Calyx–lobes 2–5 mm. long, acute, entire, strigulose on the outside, spreading. Corolla 10–18 mm. long, blue or blue and purple with yellow markings on lower lip, sometimes white or almost so, split on the upper side to ± 1 mm. from the base, 2–lipped with the lower lip broadly 3–lobed and the upper lip consisting of two reflexed lobes united with the tube for most of their length; appressed pubescent outside, sparsely pubescent near the base inside. Filaments almost free from corolla, linear, connate above, all pubescent on the inside above. Anther–tube 1·5–2·5 mm. long, all anthers densely penicillate at the tip, otherwise glabrous. Capsule ± 10–nerved, subglobose to ovoid, up to 6·5 mm. long, dehiscing by valves up to 2·5 mm. long. Seeds broadly elliptic in outline, compressed, 0·5–0·6 mm. long, reticulate, brown.
