Annuals 2-10 cm tall, very variable in habit. Stems purple, erect, rigid, branched from base, with flowering branches crowded together, densely papillate. Basal leaves with petiole 1-3 mm; leaf blade lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, 1-3 cm × 3-10 mm, margin cartilaginous and ciliolate, apex obtuse, midvein distinct. Stem leaves widely spaced, petiolate; leaf blade narrowly to broadly lanceolate, or ovate-lanceolate, 0.5-2 cm × 1.5-4 mm, smaller toward apex, margin membranous and ciliolate, apex acute to obtuse and aristate, midvein distinct. Flowers many. Pedicel purple, 1.5-3.5 mm, densely papillate. Calyx narrowly obconic, 6-8 mm; lobes lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 3.5-4 mm, equal, as long as to longer than tube, margin membranous, apex acute and awned, midvein prominent. Corolla pale blue, tubular-funnelform, 1-1.3 cm; lobes ovate, 2-3 mm, margin entire, apex acute; plicae ovate, 1-1.2 mm, margin entire or emarginate, apex obtuse. Stamens inserted at basal part of corolla tube, unequal, 3 longer and 4-6 mm, 2 shorter and 2.5-3 mm; filaments linear-subulate; anthers ellipsoid, 1.4-1.6 mm. Style 1.5-2 mm; stigma lobes linear. Capsules obovoid, 4-5 mm; gynophore to 7 mm, stout. Seeds brown, ellipsoid to ovoid, 0.5-0.7 mm. Fl. and fr. Mar-Nov.
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