Annuals 5-15 cm tall. Stems ascending, subquadrangular, branched from base. Basal leaves few, short petiolate; leaf blade oblong-spatulate, 0.5-1.6 cm × to 3 mm including petiole, base narrowed, apex obtuse to rounded, midvein distinct. Stem leaves sessile, elliptic to ovate-oblong, 2-12 × 2-5 mm, base obtuse, apex acute, midvein indistinct. Flowers terminal, solitary, often 5merous on main stem but 4merous on lateral branches. Pedicel spreading, to 20 cm, subquadrangular. Calyx 1.5-4 mm, tube shallowly saccate at base; lobes slightly unequal, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, margin sometimes blackish, apex acuminate to acute. Corolla dark blue to blue-purple, with pale yellow base and dark blue veins, tubular, 6-10 × ca. 4 mm, to 1.8 cm in fruit; lobes suberect, ovate-oblong, 3-11 mm, scale 1, fimbriae 2-2.5 mm, apex obtuse. Nectaries 10. Stamens inserted at middle of corolla tube; filaments ca. 3 mm, base decurrent into wings of corolla tube; anthers yellow, ellipsoid, ca. 1 mm. Style indistinct; stigma lobes oblong. Capsules exserted from persistent corolla. Seeds dark brown, subglobose; seed coat smooth. Fl. and fr. Jul-Oct.
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