Herbs perennial. Roots fibrous, ca. 1 mm in diam., densely lanate. Rhizomes absent. Main stem undeveloped, with basal, rosulate leaves; fertile stems several, arising from base of main stem, suberect or ascending, rarely creeping proximally, 20--60 cm, densely hirsutulous or glabrous. Basal leaves with sheath hirsutulous throughout or only along mouth slit; blade 10--20 × 3--5 cm; cauline leaves much shorter, leaf blade less than 8 cm; all leaves subglabrous or hirsute only at margin and along midvein. Cincinni 2 or 3 on each stem, capitate at anthesis, slightly lax in fruit, several flowered, sometimes only 1 flower fertile; involucral bracts leaflike, distal ones often with sheath but no blade, much shorter than leaves; bracts ovate, 3--4 mm, caducous; pedicels straight, short at anthesis, 4--6 mm in fruit. Sepals elliptic, 3.5--4 mm, persistent. Petals blue or purple, obovate-orbicular. Fertile stamens 2; filaments pubescent; staminodes 3; antherodes 3-sect. Capsule broadly ellipsoid, trigonous, 4--5 mm. Seeds 2 per valve, brown-gray, radiate striate. Fl. Apr--May.
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