Herbs, biennial (sometimes short-lived perennial), glaucous, 20-40(-60) cm, with taproot. Stems leafy with late branches (i.e., plant appearing rather different late in year). Rosette leaves withered at flowering time, with broad slightly fleshy base with membranous margin. Lower cauline leaves shortly petiolate, upper leaves sessile; blade glaucous on both surfaces or green adaxially, oblong, 5-14 × 3-6 cm, bipinnate (to almost tripinnate); pinnae 4 or 5 pairs, lower ones distant; pinnules 1-3 pairs, ovate-elliptic, pinnately deeply divided into lanceolate acute mucronate segments; leaves of late branches sometimes much less divided. Racemes dense, spikelike, 15-20(-30)-flowered (much less in late lateral racemes), elongating in fruit; bracts lanceolate to rhombic-lanceolate, 5-10 mm, long acuminate, entire or with a few thin narrow teeth. Pedicel 5-7 mm, at fruiting decurved. Flowers golden yellow, soon slightly nodding. Sepals nearly orbicular, 1-2 mm, dentate. Outer petals broad, acuminate to obtuse or even slightly emarginate; dorsal crests short, not reaching apex, sometimes lacking; upper petal 17-22 mm; spur rounded, 5-8 mm, apex saccate; nectary geniculate, 1/3-2/3 as long as spur; inner petals 11-13 mm, dorsal crests rounded, clearly overtopping apex. Stigma transversely oblong, each arm with 4 simple papillae, central pair often more distinct. Capsule pendent, linear, moniliform, 25-30 × ca. 2 mm, ca. 10-seeded; beak 2-3 mm; style 2.5-3 mm. Seeds in 1 row, almost pear-shaped, 2-2.2 × 1.7-1.9 mm, colliculate or (in northernmost localities) with small linear depressions; caruncle cupular, large, folded back over seed. Fl. and fr. Apr-Sep.
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