Herbs, perennial, 35-80 cm tall, glabrous or rarely papillose on inflorescence; leaves sometimes densely and finely papillose abaxially. Rhizome 1-2 cm with densely set imbricate fleshy scales that become dark on drying, terminating in a small rosette of leaves; sometimes with slender stolons. Stems 1-3, erect, 35-70 cm, simple or branched above, with 3-6 leaves in upper 1/2 (rarely a long-stalked leaf on lower part). Radical leaves few; petiole 5-10(-20) cm; blade glaucous abaxially, green adaxially, 1.5-3 × 2-4 cm, ternate to biternate; leaflets shallowly to deeply divided into obtuse or acute lanceolate to oblong lobes. Cauline leaves 2-5 × 2-5 cm, lower shortly stalked, upper sessile; blade like radical leaves. Racemes dense at first, elongating in fruit, 6-15-flowered; bracts 5-12 mm, broadly oblanceolate with lateral narrow lobes or teeth, lowermost usually larger, deeply palmatisect into obovate lobes, upper ones often entire. Pedicel thin, 10-20 mm in fruit. Sepals early falling, whitish, ovate, slightly thick, uneven, 2-3.5 × 2-3 mm, finely dentate. Corolla blue to purplish blue, slightly nutant in bud. Outer petals without crest, conspicuously acuminate; upper petal 23-31 mm, entire; spur straight, slightly tapering, 12-18 mm; nectary 2/3-3/4 as long as spur; lower petal 12-15 mm, with broadly ovate, shortly acuminate, dentate limb sharply set off from short straight claw (in bud margin of lower petal embracing upper petal); inner petals 10-14 mm. Stigma square, slightly emarginate; marginal simple papillae: median 2 distinct, lateral broad, indistinct; geminate papillae lateral and on well-developed basal lobes. Capsule pendent from straight, erect-spreading pedicel, narrowly obovoid, 10-13 × ca. 2 mm, 10-15-seeded; style ca. 3.5 mm. Seeds ca. 1 mm, smooth, with appressed elaiosome. Fl. and fr. May-Sep.
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