Herbs biennial, 60-100 cm tall. Stems single, much branched above, stout, 5-12 mm in diam. at base, densely hispid and strigose, hairs discoid at base. Basal leaves oblanceolate, ca. 30 × 7 cm, apex obtuse; middle stem leaves lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 5-10 × 1.5-4 cm, base rounded, apex acute or obtuse; upper stem leaves 3-5 × ca. 1 cm. Inflorescences numerous, terminal, in spreading panicles, ca. 20 cm; bracts long ovate. Pedicel slender, 5-10 mm. Calyx 6-8 mm; lobes lanceolate, densely appressed hispid. Corolla red, later becoming blue-purple, 7-8 mm, ca. 1 mm wide, densely short strigose outside above, sparsely pubescent along lobe midvein inside, base ca. 1 mm wide; throat 3-3.5 mm wide; nectary ringlike, ca. 0.2 mm, glabrous; lobes broadly triangular, margin revolute. Filaments subulate, 7-9 mm, decurrent, inserted 2.5-3 mm above base of corolla tube; anthers laterally united, 5-6 mm, completely exserted, sterile apex ca. 1 mm. Style 1.5-1.7 cm, glabrous. Nutlets ca. 3 mm, glossy, wrinkled. Fl. Jun.

* Open hillsides, meadows, Pinus and Quercus forests; 1800-2100 m. Guizhou, SW Sichuan, Yunnan.