Stems slightly swollen at the base, usually glandular hairy, reddish or yellowish brown. Scale-leaves triangular-lanceolate. Bracts lanceolate and as long as the flowers. Flowers dull yellow often tinged with pink, 18 to 25 mm long, curved, the upper lip toothed, the lower without a hairy margin. Stigma yellow.

Mostly with members of the Knapweed family.

June and July.

Parasitic mostly on members of the Knapweed family.

Scattered in southern Britain north to Cumbria and North Yorkshire.

Rare in Leicestershire and Rutland. This is the first Leicestershire record. It was not recorded in the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire.