Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Erect perennial herbs 8–15 dm tall, somewhat woody at base, glandular tomentose, the hairs branched.

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite. Blades hastate, 12–25(–35) cm long, 3.3–13 cm wide, leaves progressively smaller toward inflorescence, becoming ovate to lanceolate. Surfaces tomentose, but less so on upper surface; blade thick, chartaceous, minutely rugose. Margins crenulate. Petioles (lower leaves) 1.3–5.5 cm long; leaves nearer inflorescences sessile. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers 5–15 in compound cymes, these arranged in open panicles, pedicels usually 8–13 mm long; each flower +/- bracteolate. Calyx slightly zygomorphic, 8–16 mm long, lobes subulate, closing at maturity, 5-toothed, the teeth subequal, sometimes coherent, splitting longitudinally, usually persistent or sometimes only ventral 1/2 persistent. Corolla zygomorphic, bilabiate, purplish red, slightly curved, 22–28 mm long, pubescent externally, tube funnelform, curved, exserted beyone calyx, puberulent within, 5-lobed, lobes broad and rounded, upper lip 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed, median lobe larger than lateral ones, emarginate, lateral lobes entire; nectary disk often present at base of ovary, annular or developed on anterior side only. Stamens 4, strongly exserted ca. 10–15 mm beyond corolla tube; anther sacs divergent; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior, 2-carpellate; ovules 1 per ovary lobe, placentation basal-axile; style 1, exserted beyond corolla tube; stigmas 2.

Fruit: Nutlets 4; 1-seeded; black; ovoid; hard; the surface shiny to puberulent and smooth; ca. 4–5 mm long. Seeds with endosperm absent or scanty and oily.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Occurring in open shrubland or pastures.

Elevation Range: 610–1,220(–1,830) m.