Herbs perennial. Roots fibrous, to more than 5 cm × 1.5--4 mm, slightly fusiform thickened at middle, sparsely or densely tomentose. Rhizomes absent. Stem 1, erect, usually simple, 15--60 cm, sparsely hairy. Leaves 4--10, all cauline, evenly distributed or aggregated; leaf sheath ca. 2 cm, white hirsute usually along mouth slit or sometimes throughout; leaf blade lanceolate to long linear, 5--15 × 1--2.5 cm, often glabrous, sometimes abaxially hirsute. Cincinni numerous, opposite or whorled, forming terminal panicles, rarely compound panicles, several flowered, 2--4 cm, glabrous throughout; involucral bracts ovate to lanceolate, 2--10 mm; bracts ovate; pedicels 1--3 mm, 5--10 mm in fruit, straight, thin. Sepals ovate-orbicular, 7--8 mm, persistent. Petals purple, purple-red, or purple-blue, obovate-orbicular. Fertile stamens 3; staminodes 3; antherodes 3-sect. Capsule obovoid or ellipsoid, trigonous, 6.5--8 mm excluding apiculate apex. Seeds 3--5 per valve, uniseriate, gray-black. Fl. Jun--Sep, fr. Aug--Sep.
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