Perennials; usually long-lived; apomictic; caudex woody. Stems usually 1 per caudex branch, arising from center of rosette, elevated above ground surface on woody base, (2-) 3.5-13 dm, densely pubescent proximally, trichomes short-stalked, 2-4-rayed, 0.3-0.9 mm, moderately to sparsely pubescent distally. Basal leaves: blade linear to oblanceolate, 3-10(-13) mm wide, margins entire or denticulate, ciliate along petiole, trichomes to 1.3 mm, surfaces densely pubescent, trichomes short-stalked, 4-8-rayed, 0.2-0.5 mm. Cauline leaves: 12-35(-55), often concealing stem proximally; blade auricles 1-5(-6) mm, surfaces of distalmost leaves pubescent. Racemes 30-120-flowered, usually unbranched. Fruiting pedicels descending to horizontal, usually recurved, rarely straight, 4-20 mm, pubescent, trichomes appressed, 3-7-rayed. Flowers divaricate-ascending at anthesis; sepals pubescent; petals usually purple, rarely pinkish, 9-14 × 1.5-3 mm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent (trichomes scattered abaxially); pollen spheroid. Fruits widely pendent, not appressed to rachis, not secund, usually curved, rarely straight, edges parallel, (6-)8-12 cm × 1.5-2.5 mm; valves glabrous or trichomes sometimes scattered; ovules 140-180 per ovary; style 0.05-0.3 mm. Seeds uniseriate or sub-biseriate, 1.7-2 × 1.2-1.7 mm; wing continuous, 0.2-0.4 mm wide.
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