Procumbent (rarely erect) perennial herb with several stems from a woody rootstock; stems up to 40 cm long, puberulous to pubescent (sometimes only in a broad band). Leaves beneath pilose or sparsely so along midrib, glabrous or with scattered hairs on lamina, subglabrous above, scabrid on edges, gland-dotted beneath; lamina ovate-elliptic or narrowly so, largest 2-5.5 x 0.5-1.3 cm; margin entire, not or slightly recurved. Spikes solitary, sessile, persistent when mature. Bracts green to brown, with or without purple veins, oblong, ovate-elliptic or obovate, puberulous along midrib and puberulous-to pilose-ciliate, otherwise glabrous to sparsely and minutely puberulous, inner pair terminating in a recurved bristle and on each side with 4-6 finely scabrid and glochidiate bristles 2-4 mm long, terminal bristle up to 6 mm long; outer pair 5-12 mm long, second pair 9-16 mm long, third pair 12-18 mm long, inner pair 15-20 x 3-4 mm. Bracteoles longer than sepals, lanceolate, 16-21 mm long of which the terminal recurved scabrid and glochidiate bristle 4-7 mm long. Sepals shorter than or same length and coloured as bracts, sparsely minutely puberulous and puberulous-to pilose-ciliate on veins and margins; dorsal 3-veined, 15-17 mm long, ovate-oblong, with long ligulate apical part, apex acute or 3-toothed; ventral 2-veined, 14-17 mm long, similar, with 2 triangular acute teeth 1-2 mm long; lateral 1-veined, 11-12 mm long, lanceolate. Corolla included in bracts, pale blue, 14-15 mm long of which the tube 4-5 mm; limb obovate-spathulate 5-7 mm wide, widest apically, central lobe longest, apiculate, hairy all over but sparser towards margin and lobes; callus not or slightly ribbed. Filaments 2-3 mm long, glabrous or sparsely glandular; appendage ± 0.5 mm long, broadly rounded; anthers ± 1.5 mm long. Capsule 7-8 mm long; seed ± 5 x 3.5 mm.
Home