Herbs perennial. Rhizomes 2-12 mm in diam., yellow inside. Stems 20-36 cm tall, erect, numerous, brown-purple, finely retrorse pilose, unbranched. Petiole 0-1.5 mm; basal leaf blade elliptic-ovate to oblong, 1.3-3 × 0.6-1.5 cm, papery, adaxially sparsely fine appressed pilose or subglabrous, abaxially densely impressed glandular, veins sparsely fine pilose, base rounded, margin crenate-serrate to subentire, apex rounded to emarginate. Racemes terminal, 6.5-12 cm, densely spreading glandular puberulent; basal bracts similar to stem leaves but narrower and 1.2-1.6 cm, apical ones ± ovate, 3.5-10 mm, margin entire. Pedicel 2-3 mm. Calyx purplish, ca. 3 mm, ca. 5.5 mm in fruit, glabrous inside; scutellum semicircular, spreading, ca. 1.5 mm, to 3 mm and reflexed in fruit. Corolla yellow-white, or yellow to green-yellow, with purplish spots or lines, rarely purplish, 2.6-3 cm, glabrous inside; tube saccate, base ± bent at a right angle, throat ca. 6 mm wide; middle lobe of lower lip subcircular, to 9 mm wide; lateral lobes ovate, ca. 2.5 mm wide. Nutlets black-brown, ovoid, ca. 1.75 × 1.25 mm, tuberculate, adaxially umbonate at middle. Fl. Jun-Aug, fr. Aug-Sep.

Forms with purple flowers are found ± sympatrically with the normal yellow-flowered plants and are difficult to distinguish from Scutellaria amoena.

Used medicinally as a febrifuge, for relieving fever, and diminishing inflammation.

* Grassy slopes, dry hillside thickets; 2500-3100 m. Yunnan