Perennial herb. Stems arising either round a central rosetta of leaves or at the end of long, subterranean, creeping runners, ascendent, 10-40 cm high, simple or with 1 or 2 branches, hairs spreading in lower, more or less antrorse in uppermost part. Leaves oblong, spathulate-oblong or lanceolate-oblong, petiole winged, l-4(-6) cm long in rosetta leaves, 0-0.5 cm in stem leaves, blade 5-10 by 0.5-1.2 cm in rosetta leaves, 2.5-3.5 by 0.3-0.8 cm in lower, 0.8-2 by 0.3-0.5 cm in upper stem leaves, tapering towards base, obtuse to subacute, hairs denser, antrorse or irregular, arising from a group of mineralized cells or not on lower, looser except on midrib, antrorse or slightly irregular, rarely spreading on upper side. Inflorescence short, indistinctly scorpioid first, strongly elongated, fairly straight later on, rhachis with antrorse hairs sometimes hooked at apex, ebracteate; pedicels 1-2 mm long, hairy. Calyx campanulate, 2-2.5 mm long in flower, 3-4 mm soon afterwards, deciduous with nutlets, divided to 4/5 into lanceolate, 0.5-0.8(-l) mm wide, subacute to obtusish lobes; hairs near base reflexed-spreading, others spreading, with hooked apex especially in lower part of calyx, but sometimes in its whole length. Corolla funnel-shaped, white to pink, yellowish, bluish, 3.5-4 mm long, about 3 mm in diam., tube 2.5-3 mm long, lobes rounded orbicular, 1-1.5 mm in diam., glabrous; fornices kidney-shaped, yellow. Stamens: anthers subsessile, oblong, sometimes apiculate, 1.5 mm long. Pistil: style 2.5-4 mm long, filiform, stigma small, clavate. Nutlets ovate in outline, compressed, 1.5 mm long, 1 mm wide, in upper part with a flat, broadly obtuse rim, smooth, shining. Fig. 9. Fig. 10.
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Rosette us. single, lvs spathulate or lamina elliptic, 2-6 cm. × 4-12 mm., tip rounded and ± mucronate, petiole c. = lamina-length, narrow but ill-defined; hairs on upper surface spreading, uniform, fine, crowded, on undersurface sparser, shorter, retrorse. Lateral branches ascending or erect, few to many, up to 20-30 cm. long, inter-nodes us. = or > lvs. Upper stem-lvs sessile, spathulate to oblong, mostly 1-1·5 cm. long, tip subacute; hairs on upper surface silky, ± appressed, overlapping, on undersurface sparser, shorter, irregularly arranged. Cymes ebracteate, except sts towards base, mostly simple and terminal, either on primary laterals or on secondary laterals arising from axils of stem-lvs; internodes between frs > calyx; pedicels very short. Calyx c. 4 mm. long, lobes > 1/2 length, narrow, subacute; hairs long and straight towards tips, shorter and hooked towards base, with very short sparse hairs overall. Corolla white or yellow, tube = or > calyx, widest at top, lobes rounded, concave; filaments very short, fixed below scales, anther-tips barely reaching scales; style c. = tube in fl. Nutlets ± pointed, ± keeled.
Rosette usually single; lf lamina c. = petiole; hairs spreading and uniform, often hooked, fine, crowded, abaxially sparser, retrorse. Lateral branches to 30 cm long, ascending; internodes usually = or > lvs. Cymes mostly ebracteate; internodes between frs > calyx; pedicels short. Calyx hairs mostly short but some longer and/or hooked. Corolla white or yellow; tube = or > calyx; filaments very short; anther tips barely reaching scales.
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