Herbs, monocarpic, 30-60 cm tall in flower. Taproot long and narrow, or napiform, to 13 cm. Basal leaves in a deciduous rosette; petiole 10-15 cm, basally expanded and sheathing stem; blade variously shaped, oblong or cordate to deltoid, 10-20 × 3.5-5 cm, pinnatifid or irregularly pinnatisect, rarely bipinnatifid, usually broadly incised among lower lobes, both surfaces with rather sparse, simple bristlelike hairs, apex obtuse or rounded to acute. Lower cauline leaves similar to basal ones but upper cauline leaves sessile, smaller and with fewer divisions. Inflorescence a raceme with up to 20 flowers, all but uppermost bracteate or in axils of leaves. Flowers shallowly cup-shaped, lateral-facing to semi-nutant. Pedicel erect, 2.5-13.5 cm. Petals usually 4, rarely 5 or 6, sky blue or rarely blue-purple or red, obovate or suborbicular, ca. 3.7 × 3.7 cm. Filaments filiform, of same color as petals but deeper; anthers golden. Ovary globose to elliptic, densely golden fulvous to bristly, bristles at first appressed, later ascending to subspreading; styles distinct, ca. 1.2 cm, basally thickened in fruiting; stigma lobes free or connate, oblong or spherical. Capsule spheroidal to elliptic-oblong, densely bristly, (3 or)4-6(-8)-valvate for a short distance from apex. Seeds reniform. Fl. Jun-Aug. 2n = 56.
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A prickly herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 30-75 cm tall. It has a long tapering rootstock. The leaves near the base are 10-20 cm long by 3-4 cm wide. They are deeply divided. The higher leaves have segments that vary in shape and 1-3 cm long by 3-10 mm wide. The flowers are 5-7 cm wide. The flowers are blue.
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