Annual or perennial herbs, less commonly small shrubs; rhizomes present or 0; tubers occasionally present. Lvs simple, usually toothed. Verticels of 2-many fls in dense or lax axillary or terminal spikes, rarely infl. capitate. Bracts usually different to foliage lvs; bracteoles present or 0. Calyx tubular to campanulate or almost funnelform, not gibbous at base, 5-10-nerved, regular, rarely slightly 2-lipped; teeth usually subequal, acute to aristate. Corolla 2-lipped, hairy outside; tube usually exserted from calyx; upper lip flat to deeply concave, entire or 2-fid; lower lip 3-lobed, the middle lobe largest and usually > upper lip. Stamens ± exserted; anther cells parallel or divergent. Style gynobasic, its branches subequal. Nutlets obovoid or oblong, sometimes ± trigonous; apex rounded.