Perennial herb to 60 cm., presumably from a woody rootstock; stems hirsute with dense ± adpressed downwardly directed and some ± spreading white hairs.. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate to lanceolate; radical up to 14 cm. long, 2.5–5 cm. wide, narrowly acute at the apex, attenuate at base into a petiole ± 8 cm. long; cauline 2.5–12.5 cm. long, 0.3–2.5 cm. wide, narrowly acute at apex, the upper quite sessile and ± rounded at base, the lower attenuate at base into an apparent petiole which widens at base and is often ± amplexicaul, all with ± dense ± long white hairs, similar to stem, particularly on the venation beneath.. Flowers in well-branched inflorescences of terminal and axillary dichasial or trifid cymes, the individual branches up to 7 cm. long, all very condensed in young state; axes densely pubescent; pedicels 1–2 mm. long.. Sepals narrowly-oblong or elliptic, 2.5–3 mm. long, 0.8–1.8 mm. wide, densely pubescent, tending to be connivent when corolla has dropped, pubescent outside and long-ciliate.. Corolla bright blue; tube ± 2.5 mm. long; lobes rounded, 2.5–3 mm. long, 2.5 mm. wide.. Style 1–2 mm. long.. Fruits ± 8 mm. wide; nutlets 1–4, inclined upwards towards style, shallowly bowl-shaped, round to triangular in plan, 4–5 mm. long, 3–4 mm. wide, with a ± uniseriate row of marginal flat narrowly-triangular glochidia and a few on a median line and with small tubercles on the under surface.. Fig. 33/5–8.
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