Taproots woody, thick, lateral roots globose to fusiform. Stems 15-70 cm tall, few branched, pilose or spreading bristly; nodes densely bristly. Petiole 1-6 cm; basal leaf blades triangular, 4-13.5 × 2.7-7 cm, adaxially stellate setose and simple hairy or sparsely bristly to subglabrous, abaxially ± pilose or tufted setose, rarely bristly, base cordate, margin crenate, apex obtuse, stem leaves similar but smaller. Verticillasters many flowered, numerous, separate; floral leaves with petiole 6-11 mm, blade triangular to ovate-lanceolate, gradually reduced to shorter than verticillasters; bracts linear-subulate, as long as calyx, rigid, spreading ciliate, spinescent. Calyx tubular, ca. 14 × 6 mm, dusty puberulent outside except for bristly veins; teeth circular, ca. 1.2 mm, margin pilose, apex emarginate, with spines 2.5-3 mm. Corolla purple, ca. 2.2 cm; tube stellate pubescent above middle, glabrous at base outside, villous annulate inside; upper lip ca. 1 cm, stellate bearded inside, margin fringed; lower lip ca. 1 × 1 cm, middle lobe largest, circular-obovate, ca. 6 × 7 mm, apex emarginate; lateral lobes ovate, margin irregularly denticulate. Stamens included, hairy; posterior filament appendages reflexed, short spurred. Nutlets apex hairy. Fl. May-Sep, fr. Jul-Oct.

* Grassy slopes; 800-2200 m. Gansu, Hebei, Nei Mongol, Shaanxi, Shanxi