Biennials or perennials; short-lived; sexual; caudex present or absent. Stems usually 1 per caudex branch, arising from center of rosette near ground surface, 3-8 dm, densely pubescent proximally, trichomes simple mixed with fewer short-stalked, 2-rayed ones, 0.4-1.5 mm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent distally. Basal leaves: blade oblanceolate or linear-oblanceolate, 3-12 mm wide, margins usually entire, rarely dentate, ciliate proximally, trichomes (usually simple), to 1 mm, surfaces densely pubescent, trichomes short-stalked, 2-5-rayed, 0.3-0.8 mm. Cauline leaves: (9-)15-35, often concealing stem proximally; blade auricles 3-10 mm, surfaces of distalmost leaves glabrous, sometimes margins ciliate. Racemes 12-50-flowered, usually unbranched. Fruiting pedicels usually ascending, rarely almost horizontal, straight or slightly recurved, 3-10(-18) mm, usually pubescent, rarely glabrous, trichomes spreading, usually simple. Flowers ascending at anthesis; sepals sparsely pubescent; petals usually lavender to purple, rarely white, 7-13 × 2-5 mm, glabrous; pollen ellipsoid. Fruits usually ascending, rarely almost horizontal, not appressed to rachis, not secund, usually curved, edges parallel, 5-13 cm × 1.7-2 mm; valves glabrous; ovules 90-170 per ovary; style 0.05-0.3 mm. Seeds uniseriate, 1.5-2 × 1-1.5 mm; wing continuous, 0.1-0.2 mm wide. 2n = 14.
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