Herbs, monocarpic, to 1 m tall in flower, throughout appressed, usually silvery white barbellate-pilose. Taproot napiform. Basal leaves in a large, dense, evergreen rosette; petiole 7-15 cm; blade oblanceolate, oblanceolate-oblong, elliptic, or ovate-oblong, ca. 35 × 9 cm, sericeous and barbellate-villous when young, base attenuate, margin serrulate, apex acute. Lower cauline leaves similar to basal leaves, but petioles shorter; upper cauline leaves sessile, base auriculate. Inflorescence racemose. Flowers nodding or half-nodding. Pedicel to 12 cm (to 25 cm in fruit), stout, densely appressed barbellate-tomentose. Petals 4, 6 in terminal flowers, white, obovate to suborbicular, ca. 6 × 6 cm. Filaments white, filiform; anthers deep yellow. Ovary spheroidal to narrowly elliptic, appressed barbellate-tomentose; styles distinct, 9-11 mm; stigmas deep purple, obviously lobed. Capsule narrowly ellipsoid-oblong, 7-11-valvate from apex for a short distance. Seeds reniform, seed coat densely papillate.
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