Hemiparasitic annual herbs (in Pakistan) or dwarf shrubs. Stems branched, especially above. Leaves opposite, sessile, usually narrow, entire to obscurely or less commonly conspicuously toothed. Inflorescence a terminal, bracteate, secund spike-like raceme. Flowers zygomorphic. Calyx tubular-campanulate, 4-toothed. Corolla tube cylindrical, limb bilabiate or rarely almost radiate, 5-fid; upper lip entire or shortly bilobed; lower lip 3-lobed, galeate, the lobes reflexed, entire or slightly emarginate. Stamens 4, didynamous; anthers glabrous or pilose, mucronate or not. Stigma capitate. Fruit an oblong, loculicidal capsule. Seeds rather few, longitudinally striate or ridged.

A palaearctic genus of about 30 species, centered in W. & C. Europe (especially Iberian Peninsula), extending E. through S. W. Asia as far as the Pamirs and Pakistan. Represented in Pakistan by 1 apparently endemic species, which belongs to the difficult O. verna polymorphic complex. The taxonomy of the N.W. European membes of this group was carefully worked out by B. Snogerup (l.c.). The description below, and measurements taken, follow the pattern adopted by her. The group is still in need of a world-wide revision. 

In the APG III classification (2009) Odontites is included in the family Orobanchaceae.