Spiny, stout, erect (sometimes shrub-like) herb, sparsely to densely pilose or glandular-pilose throughout; stem branched, 6-13 dm tall with few to many spines 1-2.5 cm long. Leaves sessile or short-petiolate, elliptic to oblong or lanceolate, rarely obovate, highly variable in size and shape; cauline leaves 3-12 cm long, 5-30 mm wide, the apex acute, the base cuneate to attenuate, entire. Flowers fragrant, shortly pedunculate, congested corymbosely at the apex or fre-quently sparse and solitary on short branches along the main stem or branches; sepals 5, oblong to broadly lanceolate, acute, conspicuously veined, 5-9 mm long, glandular-pilose; corolla bright blue to purple, 10-15 mm in diam, divided to near the middle, the 5 lobes imbricate; stamens 5, included or exserted; pollen grains subprolate-prolate (28 X 21,u); ovary oblong-ovoid, bilocular with axile placentation, pubescent or glandular-pubescent, together with the styles less than 12 mm long at anthesis (frequently much more after fruit has expended), the styles 2-3-(4-5), frequently glandular at the base, usually longer than the calyx at anthesis, rarely shorter than the calyx. Capsule rounded, thin-walled, regularly or irregularly dehiscent; seeds small, numerous.
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