A rather slender erect sparingly and hispidly pubescent scabrid herb 6–15 in. high; stem usually freely branched from about the middle upwards. Leaves opposite or the upper alternate, linear, 1/2–1 1/2 in. long, 1/3–1 1/2 lin. broad, hispidly pubescent and often scabrid with small white points, acute or subacute. Spikes terminal, slender, lax-flowered, up to 8 in. long; flowers alternate, 1 1/2–2 1/2 lin. apart; bracts linear, 2–5 lin. long, acute, hispidly pubescent, scabrid; bracteoles similar to the bracts but smaller. Calyx about 3 lin. long, 5-nerved, 5-toothed, shortly and hispidly pubescent on the nerves and teeth; teeth narrowly triangular, acuminate, 3/4–1 lin. long, the uppermost much smaller than the rest. Corolla purple or red, glabrous or puberulous; tube about 5 lin. long, very narrow below, curved and inflated above the middle; upper lip broadly obovate, about 2 lin. long, subtruncate or emarginate; lower lip 2 1/2–4 lin. long; lobes obovate or narrowly obovate, 1 1/2–2 1/2 lin. long. Capsule ellipsoid, 2–2 1/2 lin. long, 1–1 1/4 lin. broad, apiculate.
