Annual herb 20-45 cm tall; stems finely ascending-hairy.. Leaves alternate or the proximal opposite, sessile, (narrowly) ovate, 1.7-7 cm long, 0.4-1.7 cm wide, base rounded to subcordate and somewhat amplexicaul, margins minutely serrulate or subentire, apex obtuse to subacute, apiculate, finely hairy above, white-tomentose beneath.. Capitula in terminal and upper axillary corymbiform cymes; involucre hemispherical, 3 mm in diameter at flowering time; phyllaries 3-seriate, dark green centrally below the apex, otherwise pallid, (narrowly) ovate, 3-6 mm long, pungent-cuspidate, rather conspicuously finely crispate-pubescent, margins hyaline, membranous, purplish-tinged, finely pectinate-fimbriate.. Corolla deep mauve or blue, 5.5 mm long, lobes appressed-hairy, 2-2.6 mm long.. Achenes obconic-cylindrical, 1-1.4 mm long, 10-ribbed with alternating more and less prominent ribs, shortly sparsely hairy between the ribs; pappus absent.
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