Herbs perennial. Roots fibrous, 0.5--1 mm in diam., glabrous or tomentose. Rhizomes absent. Main stem undeveloped; fertile stems several, arising from rosette, diffuse or ascending, 15--50(--100) cm, glabrous or puberulent on 1 side, very rarely densely hirsute. Basal leaves with blade linear, 5--15(--30) cm × 6--9 mm, margin ciliate only proximally; cauline leaves shorter, ciliate only on 1 side of sheath mouth, glabrous elsewhere, very rarely densely hirsutulous. Cincinni terminal, solitary or 2 or 3 forming a panicle, subcapitate, of several densely arranged flowers; proximal involucral bracts leaflike but smaller than leaves, distal ones very small, less than 10 mm; peduncle ca. 2.5 cm; bracts ca. 4 mm, caducous; pedicels slightly curved, 2.5--4 mm in fruit. Sepals ovate-elliptic, ca. 3 mm, herbaceous. Petals purple-red or blue, obovate-orbicular. Fertile stamens 2; filaments pubescent; staminodes 3; antherodes 3-sect. Capsule ovoid-globose, trigonous, 3--4 mm. Seeds 2 per valve, yellow-brown, radiate striate, finely white reticulate, neither pitted nor verrucose. Fl. May--Oct.
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