Herbs, to 1.5 m tall. Lateral roots few, fusiform to conical. Stems quadrangular, lightly grooved to nearly winged, glabrous or white crisped hairy. Leaves opposite, sometimes apically alternate; petiole to 4.5 cm; leaf blade below mostly ovate, upper ones ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, to 30 X 19 cm, base cuneate, rounded, or subcordate, margin serrulate and rarely irregularly double serrate. Thyrses to 50 cm, largely lax; cymes terminal and axillary, often 2-4-flowered, rarely a terminal cyme less than 10 cm; pedicel 0.3-3 cm, glandular hairy. Calyx 2-3 mm; lobes suborbicular, rounded, margin submembranous; corolla brown-purple, 8-9 mm; tube subglobose; lower lip lobes subovate, middle lobe shorter than lateral lobes; stamens slightly shorter than lower lip; staminode large and globose; style ca. 3 mm. Capsule ovoid, 8-9 mm.

Antibacterial, antifungal, antipyretic, antiphlogistic, cardiac, diuretic, febrifuge, haemolytic, hypoglycaemic, restorative, sialogogue, tonic and vasodilator (root)

Plants For A Future
Flora of China

The root is used in the treatment of feverish illnesses with symptoms such as rashes, dark red tongue, delirium and insomnia, dry cough, swollen and sore throat, scrofula, conjunctivitis, diphtheria, abscesses, carbuncles, boils, and sores.

Jing-Nuan Wu. An Illustrated Chinese Materia Medica. P: 580, Oxford University Press, Inc.2005.