Shrubs, deciduous, to 3 m tall, ± pruinose. Winter buds small, with ca. 4 pairs of ovate scales. Branches with pith becoming brown and later hollow. Petiole 2-5 mm; leaf blade ovate or ovate-oblong, sometimes oblong, 2-5 × 1-2 cm, both surfaces glabrous or sparsely pubescent, sometimes prominently pubescent, base rounded or slightly cordate, margin ciliate, apex acute or obtuse. Inflorescences axillary paired flowers; peduncle 1-2 cm; bracts linear to obovate-lanceolate, 2-7 mm; bracteoles free in 2 pairs, orbicular-ovate, to 1 mm, sometimes as long as ovaries and ciliate. Neighboring 2 ovaries free. Calyx lobes triangular-lanceolate, to 1 mm. Corolla bilabiate, pale pink to carmine-red, sometimes white or pink fading to yellow, ca. 1.5 cm; tube 5-6 mm, shallowly gibbous at base; upper lip 4 lobed, 2 lateral lobes lobed to base and spreading, middle lobes shallowly lobed; lower lip recurved. Stamens and style exserted from corolla tube. Style pubescent throughout. Berries red or yellow, globose, 5-6 mm in diam.; seeds 2-2.3 mm, smooth with concave dots. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Jun-Sep.

Forest margins, scrub; 700-1600 m. ?Hebei, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, N Xinjiang [Japan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, ?Mongolia, Russia].