馬藍屬多年生草本，臺灣特有種。4稜形莖多分枝，密被粗毛。葉為單葉，十字對生，具短柄或幾乎無柄，長橢圓形或長橢圓狀披針形，葉基楔形，葉尖漸尖，鋸齒緣，上下表面密被粗毛。聚繖花序，腋生或頂生。花冠筒狀呈紫白色。花期8月至次年1月。果為蒴果，匙狀橢圓形；種子4粒，卵圓形，扁平，密被長絨毛。

A perennial herb of the genus Strobilanthes, endemic to Taiwan. Stem 4-angled and richly bifurcated, covered with dense bristles. Leaves simple and decussate, with short petioles or almost sessile, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, leaf base cuneate, leaf tips tapering, serrated margin, densely covered with coarse bristles on the both surfaces. Cymes, axillary or terminal. Corolla tube-shaped and purple-white. Flowering from August to January. Fruits are spoon-shaped oval capsules; 4 seeds, ovoid, flat, densely covered with long fluff.

喜半遮陰潮濕環境。介質需疏鬆肥沃。不耐旱，介質略乾或觀察葉片稍萎軟就須澆水。春至秋每季施用一次長效性肥料。以種子或扦插繁殖。

The plant thrives in partial-shaded and humid environment and prefers loose and fertile medium. Not drought-tolerant, it requires watering when the medium slightly dries or the leaves show early signs of wilt. Apply long-active fertilizer once a season from spring to autumn. Propagated by seeds or cuttings.

葉片是枯葉蝶、眼紋擬蛺蝶、黑擬蛺蝶等蝶類幼蟲的食草。排灣族採取根部浸水，發酵後再加水搓揉使汁液流出，用來藍染麻線或布料。

The leaves are food to larvae of butterflies, such as Kallima inachus, Junonia lemonias aenaria Tsukada & Kaneko, and Junonia iphita. Paiwan people used to soak the root in water, and rub them after fermentation to extract the sap which can be used to dye twine or fabric blue.