Herbs, perennial, to 30 cm tall in flower (taller in fruit). Taproot cylindrical, ca. 5 mm in diam. at top, decurrent and attenuate toward base. Rootstock short, with several very short branches. Leaves all basal, deciduous, at apex of very shortly branched rootstock and forming several leaf clusters, accompanied by mixed scalelike leaf bases; petiole linear, 2-9 cm; blade glaucous abaxially, green adaxially, ovate-rhombic to lanceolate, narrowly lanceolate, or subspatulate, 2-6 × 1-3.8 cm, both surfaces glabrous or sparsely appressed rubiginous villous, midvein distinct, lateral veins dichotomously branched, base attenuate and winged-decurrent, margin entire, apex rounded or argute. Scape 1-8 per rosette, 3-30 cm, to 60 cm in fruit, usually sparsely rubiginous compressed-villous. Flowers solitary on scape, semi-nutant. Petals 4, rarely 6-8, deep violet-blue or indigo, rarely rose-purple, longitudinally pleated, ovate, obovate, or suborbicular, 2-3.5 × 1.5-2.5 cm, apex acute or rarely rounded. Filaments of same color as petals, filiform, ca. 1 cm; anthers orange, oblong, ca. 1 mm. Ovary narrowly oblong-elliptic, glabrous; styles ca. 5 mm, sometimes very short, glabrous; stigmas capitate or sometimes almost clavate. Capsule narrowly oblong or subcylindrical, 5-10 cm × ca. 5 mm, glabrous, 3(-5)-valvate for 1/3 or less its length from apex. Seeds falcate-oblong, seed coat smooth or longitudinally striate. Fl. May-Jul.
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