Perennials 10-30 cm tall. Roots to 1.5 cm in diam. Stems ascending to erect, stout, simple, glabrous. Basal leaves petiole 0.5-3 cm, membranous; leaf blade linear-elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, 3-16 × 0.8-2.3 cm, thick herbaceous, base narrowed, margin scabrous, apex acuminate, veins 3-5. Stem leaves 3-5 pairs; petiole to 1.5 cm, shorter toward apex; leaf blade lanceolate to ovate-elliptic, 1-6 × 0.6-1.5 cm, base obtuse, margin scabrous, apex acuminate, veins 1-3. Cymes axillary or terminal, usually forming a thyrse, axillary cymes rarely on pedunclelike branches; peduncle purple, to 2 cm. Pedicel purple, to 7 cm. Calyx tube purple, spathelike, 1.5-2.5 cm, split on 1 side; lobes lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 5-8 mm, unequal, margin scabrous, apex acute to obtuse, veins distinct. Corolla white or blue, funnelform, 4-4.5 cm; lobes ovate-elliptic to ovate, 0.9-1.1 cm, margin entire, apex obtuse; plicae triangular, 4-6 mm, oblique, margin denticulate, apex acute. Stamens inserted just below middle of corolla tube; filaments 1.2-1.5 cm; anthers ellipsoid, 3.5-4 mm. Style 3-4 mm; stigma lobes narrowly triangular. Capsules narrowly ellipsoid, 1.5-1.8 cm; gynophore 1-1.5 cm. Seeds light brown, ellipsoid, 1.2-1.5 mm, winged at 1 end. Fl. and fr. Aug-Oct.