Perennial herb with several prostrate stems from woody rootstock; stems to 25 cm long, sparsely minutely puberulous. Leaves glabrous, smooth above; lamina narrowly elliptic, largest ± 9.5 x 2.2 cm, with c. 10 small and large spreading teeth per side. Spikes 5-10 cm long, 14-24-flowered; peduncle 10-20 mm long, with 4-6 pair of evenly spaced sterile bracts; fertile bracts glossy, greenish, lower with white edges, glabrous, lower and middle broadly elliptic-obovate, 35-45 x 22-26 mm of which the slightly recurved narrowly triangular spinose tip 12-15 mm, on each side with 4-7 teeth of which the longest ± 7 mm. Bracteoles ± 24 x 3 mm, lanceolate, acuminate, slightly widened at base, glabrous. Sepals sparsely and minutely puberulous near apex (dorsal) or sericeous all over (ventral), both ciliate; dorsal ± 25 mm long, 3-veined from base to apex with veins branching near apex, ovate-elliptic with long spathulate apical part with truncate, wavy, irregularly toothed scarious apex; ventral ± 18 mm long, 2-veined from base to apex, ovate with subligulate apical part narrowing slightly to an apex with two triangular mucronate teeth c. 3 mm long, sometimes with two additional central teeth; lateral ± 10 mm long, ovate, acuminate. Corolla blue, ± 33 mm long of which the tube ± 5 mm long; limb broadly obovate, ± 20 mm wide, beneath densely hairy all over, central lobe about as long as wide, deeply and broadly emarginate, narrowed at base; filaments ± 10 mm long, sparsely glandular; appendage ± 3 mm long, straight, rounded; anthers ± 6.5 mm long. Capsule and seed not seen.
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