Herbs, monocarpic, to 2 m tall in flower. Taproot radishlike. Basal leaves in a dense, evergreen, sea-green rosette; petiole ca. 7.5 cm; blade elliptic-oblong, ca. 16 × 4 cm, both surfaces especially midvein and margin villous and mixed barbellate-pubescent, pinnatisect or pinnatipartite; lobes oblong or lanceolate-oblong, margin entire or irregularly lobed, apex acute. Lower cauline leaves similar to basal ones but shorter petiolate; upper cauline leaves sessile, basally auriculate-amplexicaul, pinnatifid. Inflorescence racemose, barbellate-tomentose. Flowers nutant, bracteate. Pedicel ca. 6.2 cm, to 13 cm at fruiting, slender, apically densely pilose. Petals 4(-6), pale blue, bluish violet, or sometimes purple, obovate to suborbicular, ca. 3.7 × 2.5 cm. Filaments of same color as petals but white at base, filiform; anthers bright orange. Ovary elliptic to elliptic-oblong, densely appressed or inclined slightly golden pubescent; styles distinct, to 7-9 mm, usually slender; stigmas virescent, nearly clavate or sometimes with separate lobes. Capsule elliptic-oblong, 3.5-3.7 × 1.4-1.5 cm, densely ascending pubescent or basally setose, 7-9-valvate for a short distance from apex. Seeds elliptic-oblong to reniform, seed coat densely papillose. Fl. Jun-Jul.
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