Perennial often suffruticose herbs or shrubs, with at least some branched to stellate-dendroid hairs. Stems sturdy, erect. Leaves undivided, entire or crenate-serrulate, petiolate, with a ± prominent indumentum. Vertiicillasters many-flowered in axils of upper leaves, distant or approximating. Bracts prominent, numerous, narrow oblong to subulate. Flowers rose, purple or violet, usually large, showy. Calyx tubular, ± thick-textured, 5-10-nerved, not bilabiate, truncate, teeth equal or unequal, often spiny. Corolla bilabiate; tube annulate or not, included within calyx; upper lip falcate, internally densely bearded; lower lip spreading or ± reflexed, 3-lobed. Stamens 4, included, anterior pair longer than posterior; thecae 2-locular. Style unequally 2-lobed. Nutlets 4 trigonous, truncate, glabrous at apex or bearded.