Herbs, monocarpic, 70-150 cm tall, throughout with stiff, barbellate, grayish hairs, with an underlay of similar shorter or substellate hairs. Taproot dauciform. Stem erect, present in flowering specimens, terete, to 15 mm in diam. at base, slightly ridged above. Leaf rosette dense, spreading, evergreen, bluish green, to 70 cm in diam.; basal leaves long petiolate, withered or partly withered at flowering time; blade lanceolate to lanceolate-elliptic, to 26 × 10 cm, pinnatisect to subentire, with obtuse lobes, both surfaces with rather sparse gray, stiff, barbellate hairs, midvein distinct, lateral veins less obvious. Lower cauline leaves similar to basal ones but shorter petiolate; middle and upper cauline leaves gradually smaller upward on stem; uppermost sessile and semi-amplexicaul, pinnatifid, with fewer lobes than lower ones. Inflorescence a fastigiate or semi-fastigiate panicle, racemose above, many flowered; lowermost flowers in lateral cymules of 1-5, uppermost solitary; bracts similar to uppermost leaves, decreasing in size upward on inflorescence; peduncles erect to obliquely ascending, 0.6-3.8 cm (to 10.4 cm in fruiting specimens), stout, pubescent like stem. Pedicel 0.4-1.8 cm (to 5 cm in fruit). Flowers semi-nutant; buds nutant, narrowly ovoid, with ascending to appressed barbellate hairs. Sepals pale gray-green, oval. Petals 4, purple to wine-purple, deep wine-crimson, or "light maroon," occasionally white flushed with wine-purple, obovate to ± orbicular, 2.2-4.2 × 2.2-4.2 cm, generally rather crimped. Stamens numerous; filaments same color as petals; anthers orange to orange-yellow. Ovary ovoid, with ascending to appressed barbellate bristles; styles 4-7 mm; stigmas purple, capitate. Capsule ovoid to ellipsoid, 14-20 × 8-14 mm, generally 5-valved, covered in ascending barbellate bristles; style persistent, 6-8 mm. Fl. Jun-Sep.
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