Herbs, perennial, 20--50 cm tall. Taproot red-brown to dark brown; bark unbroken. Caudex simple or 2--4-branched, covered with persistent petioles. Leaves basal, rarely 1--3 along axis of inflorescences, usually conspicuous to anthesis; petiole wide; leaf blade spatulate to oblong-spatulate, 3--15 X 0.3--3 cm including petiole, base attenuate, apex ± rounded. Inflorescences solitary or 2--5, each from a different leaf rosette, paniculate; main axis usually 3-or 4-angular, sometimes sulcate, or rarely cylindrical at base; sterile branches usually simple, on basal part or at forks of rachis; spikes with 3--5(--9) spikelets, axis 2-angular; spikelets 2-or 3(--5)-flowered; bracts oblong-ovate, 2.5--3.5 mm, herbaceous part ovate to oblong; first bractlet 6--6.5 mm. Calyx funnelform, 6--7 mm; tube ca. 1 mm in diam.; limb pink to pale purple, becoming white, 3--3.5 mm in diam. but apical flowers with limb 6--7 mm in diam.; lobes short and wide, apex rounded to rarely fugaciously soft awned. Corolla yellow. Fl. May-Jul, fr. Jun-Aug.
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