Perennial herbs and subshrubs, pleasantly aromatic, pilose with simple hairs or glabrous. Leaves undivided, entire, gland-dotted, petiolate. Vertiallasters 2 (-many)-flowered in spikes usually forming paniculate inflorescences. Bracts distinct from leaves, often imbricate, coloured or not. Flowers hermaphrodite or male sterile (plants gynodioecious). Calyx equally 5-toothed or not, tubular-campanulate, 10-13-nerved, herbaceous, throat densely vinous or not. Corolla bilabiate, rose, purple or white; upper lip emarginate, straight; lower lip spreading 3-lobed, as long as upper; tube included or exserted from calyx. Stamens 4, didynamous, anterior pair longer than posterior, included or exserted; thecae 2-locular, divergent. Style with 2 acute unequal lobes. Nutlets smooth, ovoid or oblong, brown.