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Lateral sepals (3) 3·5–7 (9) × (0·8) 1·5–2·75 (3·5) mm., very variable, lanceolate-triangular, triangular-subulate, ovate to ovate-oblong, acute or usually narrowly acuminate, glabrous or sparsely hairy; posterior sepal 9–15 mm. long and 2·5–5 mm. deep, shallowly obliquely navicular, abruptly constricted into the spur, distally subcaudate or acute, almost always striate as described above, glabrous or sparsely pilose; spur (13) 17–32 mm. long, always incurved (in immature flowers often recurved), rather slender cylindric or somewhat conical, the end bluntish or only slightly thickened, very rarely acute, glabrous, glabrescent or pilose (see t. 26 fig. 6).
Lateral united petals 13–35 mm. long, deeply 2-lobed, the lobes very different in shape and size, usually glabrous; anterior lobe 10–27 (at the base) × 10–18 mm., rather variable in shape, transversely semi-elliptic to subcircular, broadly obliquely ovate to broadly obliquely obovate, with the upper edge rounded or oblique-truncate, distally rounded to (very rarely) subacute, always entire; posterior lobe much smaller than the anterior one, broadly ovate, ovate-triangular, rarely ovate-oblong, apically acute and nearly always produced into a filiform appendage (see t. 26 fig. 20–23).
A very variable species. There are two distinct subspecies, one of them is rather uniform while the other one may be divided into at least 2 groups to which, because of so many intermediate forms, taxonomic rank can scarcely be given in our present state of knowledge (see also discussion under original descriptions of the subspecies).
Perennial herb, very variable in habit, erect, spreading or decumbent; usually (20) 30–60 cm. (rarely up to 90 cm. or more) high; stems succulent, rarely with a woody base, often rooting at lower nodes, ± densely pilose (mainly on younger parts), glabrescent or sometimes quite glabrous, green or reddish.
Flowers axillary, solitary or in clusters of 2–3, bright to dark pink or mauve, with the posterior sepal distally longitudinally striate; bracts very small, lanceolate-triangular to mostly subulate, acute, glabrous or sometimes pilose; pedicels 2·5–7 cm. long, rather slender, glabrous or pilose.
Anterior petal 7–15 mm. high and 8–18 mm. broad (when flattened), helmet-shaped, dorsally narrowly cristate (broader towards the apex), with the crest terminating in an acute point.
Seeds numerous, 1·5–1·7 × 2–2·5 mm., light to dark brown or reddish-brown, ovate-oblong in outline, glabrous, ± densely covered with protuberant papilli.
Capsule long, fusiform, glabrous.
Ovary glabrous.
