Herbs annual, often (10--)20(--30) cm tall, pubescent to glabrescent, not drying black. Roots single, woody when old. Stems 1--8, rigid, outer stems ± ascending, often unbranched, with 4 lines of hairs. Leaves in whorls of 4; petiole of proximal leaves 0.7--3.5 cm, of distal leaves shorter or ± sessile, white villous; leaf blade ovate to oblong-lanceolate, 0.4--3 cm X 2.5--10(--13) mm, pinnatifid; segments 5--11 pairs, ovate to obovate, dentate, teeth white and callose, ± white pubescent or glabrescent on both surfaces. Inflorescences spicate, dense or interrupted basally; proximal bracts leaflike, distal ones triangular-ovate, white villous, tinged with red apically. Calyx often tinged with purplish red, ca. 4 mm, membranous, sometimes with red dots, slightly cleft anteriorly; lobes 5, unequal, ± serrate, posterior one triangular, smaller than lateral lobes. Corolla purple-red, 1.4--1.7 cm; tube ca. 2 X as long as galea, strongly decurved basally, expanded apically; galea barely falcate, ca. 5 mm, slightly rounded in front; lower lip 7--8 mm X ca. 1 cm, middle lobe ovate, slightly smaller than lateral pair, margin entire or erose-serrulate. Filaments glabrous. Fl. Jun--Aug, fr. Aug--Sep.

* Alpine meadows, grassy slopes, ravines; 3400--4600 m. SW Gansu, SE Qinghai, N and W Sichuan, E Xizang