Herbs, monocarpic, to 20 cm tall. Taproot radishlike or long and narrow, ca. 7.5 cm × 7.5 mm; rootstock napiform, with a dense tuft of fibrous leaf base remains. Stems short, slender. Basal leaves spatulate, 1-2 cm, soon withering, with only densely caespitose persistent membranous leaf bases when flowering. Cauline leaves near stem base; blade oblanceolate to elliptic, ca. 4 × 1 cm, both surfaces glabrous or densely setose, entire; petiole ca. 3.7 cm; upper leaves sessile. Flowers usually 3, rarely solitary, simple, from leaf axils, ca. 25 cm in diam., glabrous to sparsely reflexed setose. Sepals glabrous. Petals 4-8, blue, narrowly ovate, ca. 2.5 × 1 cm. Stamens many; filaments same color as petals, filiform, longer than ovary; anthers golden. Ovary narrowly ovoid, ca. 1.5 cm, glabrous; styles ca. 5 mm; stigmas almost clavate, 4-lobed, lobes ± nutant. Capsule narrowly obovoid to narrowly elliptic, 4-valvate at top, glabrous or slightly setose.
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