Herbs, monocarpic, 58-100 cm tall in flower. Taproot plump, ca. 18 cm, ca. 1.5 cm in diam. at top, attenuate toward base. Stems stout, to 2.5 cm in diam. at base, longitudinally striate, sparsely fulvous, shortly branched setose, basally with persistent leaf bases, leaf bases rubiginous, shortly branched setose. Basal leaves: petiole 2.5-15 cm, ca. 5 mm in diam., basally ampliate, sparsely fulvous, shortly branched setose, near base with sparse short spines; blade elliptic to elliptic-oblong or lanceolate, 1.5-7.5 × 1.6-6 cm, both surfaces and margin sparsely fulvous, setose, midvein broad, lateral veins slender, pinnatipartite, apex obtuse; lobes 3-6 pairs, asymmetrically elliptic to lanceolate-oblong, to 50 × 16 mm, distant, subapically pinnatilobate. Lower cauline leaves like basal leaves; upper cauline leaves elliptic to ovate, both surfaces pilose; leaves sessile. Flowers several in upper axils of stem, uppermost ebracteate. Pedicel 0.6-2.5 cm, setose. Petals 4, mauve-blue, purple, or deep purplish blue, broadly obovate, 3-7.2 × 2.8-6.8 cm, apex truncate, irregularly serrulate. Filaments of same color as petals, linear, 1-1.5 cm; anthers yellow or golden, oblong, 1.5-2 mm. Ovary globose, 1-1.8 cm, densely fulvous, shortly branched setose; styles terete, 5-11 mm, terminating in clavate stigmas 4-5 mm, basally ampliate to disk and covering ovary; disk 6-9 mm in diam., margin deeply divided, lobes thinly deltoid. Capsule (immature) oblong, 1.6-2 cm × 7-10 mm, both ends truncate, densely pilose; persistent styles to 12 mm, stylar disks 10-12 mm in diam. Fl. Jun-Sep.
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