Biennial herb (fide Greenway) to 90 cm.; stems with upwardly directed adpressed hairs, dense near the inflorescences, coarsely spreading hairy beneath.. Radical leaves oblanceolate, up to 15 cm. long, 1.8 cm. wide, tapering acute at the apex, very gradually attenuated into 7 cm. long petiole; cauline leaves lanceolate, 2.5–11 cm. long, 0.3–1.5 cm. wide; all with white ± adpressed hairs from cystolith spots.. Inflorescences terminal and axillary and on lateral leafy branches, at first condensed but later lax; peduncles up to 10 cm. long; pedicels 2 mm. long.. Calyx-lobes lanceolate, finally in fruit up to 4–5 × 1.5 mm.. Corolla bright blue; tube 2.5–3 mm. long; limb 7.5 mm. wide, with lobes 3 × 3 mm.; throat-bosses prominent and squarish, ± 1 mm. long.. Style 1.4–2.5 mm. long.. Ripe fruits not seen but nutlets at least 3 mm. wide with glochidia around the margin and across a median line, with very few on intervening faces.. Fig. 32/2, p. 114.
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