Plants annual or biennial herbs 30-80 cm tall. Stems ridged, basally diffuse, apically erect, glabrous except for pubescence on young branches and nodes. Leaves: petioles to 0.5-3 cm long, puberulent; blades ovate-elliptic, 2-8 cm long, 1.5-4 cm wide, lower surfaces sparsely puberulent along veins, upper surfaces glabrous, secondary veins 4 or 5 on each side of midvein, slightly prominent on lower surfaces, bases cuneate to attenuate and decurrent, margins entire or slightly sinuate, tips shortly acuminate to acute. Inflorescences each of (1-)3 or 4 pedunculate cymes from upper leaf axils, 1-4 cm long; bracts subulate to linear to oblanceolate to obovate, 3-7.5 mm long, 0.3-1 mm wide; peduncles 2-5 mm; cymes usually with 3-4 cymules; outer bracteoles elliptic to obovate, 5-13 mm long, 3-8 mm wide, unequal, abaxial surfaces puberulent, 3-veined, margins ciliate, tips acute and mucronate; inner bracteoles linear, about 5 mm long, abaxial surfaces hirsute, tips acuminate; pedicels 0.5-3 mm long, puberulent. Calyces about 5 mm long; lobes linear, equal, margins hirsute, tips acuminate; corollas pale purple, 1-1.2 cm longer, outside puberulent; tubes slender, about 6 mm long, about 1.5 mm wide; limb 2-lipped; lower lips ovate, about 5 mm long and 3 mm wide, tips entire; upper lips oblong, about 4 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, shallowly 3-lobed; stamens inserted near top of corolla tubes; filaments about 4 mm long, glabrous; thecae spherical, about 1.2 mm in diameter, parallel; ovaries pilose at top; styles about 1.4 cm long. Capsules broadly ellipsoid, about 6 mm long, puberulent, 4-seeded, tops apiculate; seeds circular in outline, about 2 mm in diameter, covered with papillae that are barbed towards their tips.