Biennial or perennial acaulescent herb, rarely a subshrub with reduced branching, up to 100(-200) mm high. Leaves tufted, oblanceolate to lanceolate, 40-80(-100) x 8-12(-18) mm; margin undulate, irregular shallowly dentate spinose, spines fine up to 2(3) mm long; hairs appressed to strigose with isolated sessile or subsessile glands; base attenuate; sessile to subsessile, if petiole present (up to 2 mm long). Inflorescences 25-60(-70) mm long, (8-)10-12 mm in diameter. Bracts obovate to fan-shaped, 13-15(-20) mm long, base 5-8 mm long; middle and upper bracts ending in 5 primary spines; central primary spine always compound (with 2 or 3(4) pairs of marginal secondary spines), lateral spines with 2 basal secondary spines and 3(4) marginal secondary spines; spine tips often tinged maroon; primary spines usually recurved and secondary spines spreading in fruit; bract base hirsute to pubescent with deflexed to spreading short hairs, spines usually villose (long silky hairs interspersed with deflexed to spreading short hairs and short, subsessile glandular hairs, the latter < 0.2 mm long). Bracteoles lanceolate, 7-9(-10) mm long, silky hairy. Calyx tips often tinged maroon; dorsal sepal ovate, apiculate to cuspidate, 10-12(-14) mm long, densely silky hairy, especially adaxially, 5-7-veined from base; ventral sepal ovate, 8-11 mm long, densely silky hairy, especially adaxially, 5-7-veined from base; lateral sepals 7-9 mm long, densely silky hairy. Flowers blue-purple with white throat, corolla 23-27 x 10-12 mm, tube 8-12 mm long, central lobe wider than long or equal, slightly constricted at base, truncate to emarginated. Stamens with anthers purple-black, 2 mm long; filaments 4-5 mm long, sparsely glandular, hairy towards base. Style with patch of glandular hairs at base. Capsules ovate in face view, flattened, glabrous, shiny, 6-7 x 3-4 mm, 2-seeded. Seeds 4 x 3 mm, covered with long white hygroscopic hairs.
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