Perennial sturdy herbs usually with at least some stellate-dendroid hairs. Roots bearing tubers or not. Leaves simple and crenate-laciniate to bipinnatisect. Inflorescence showy; flowers in verticillasters, rarely in thyrsoid cymes. Bracts ovate-lanceolate to subulate, often connate at base. Calyx tubular-campanulate to tubular infundibuliform; teeth short, equal, ovate or triangular, truncate, winged or auriculate always terminating in short hard spines (in other species, not in our area, there is a broad membranous, obtusely lobed limb). Corolla yellow, white or pinkish, bilabiate; upper lip falcate, densely bearded at inner margins; lower lip 3-lobed; tube internally annulate or not, spreading. Stamens 4; filaments of upper pair of anthers pectinate-fimbriate at point of attachment; thecae 2-locular. Nutlets trigonous, truncate, apically always bearded.