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Long-styled flowers; corolla tube 4–8(9) mm. long, often split longitudinally at the base along the filament sutures, cylindrical and scarcely dilated, glabrescent to densely pubescent outside; lobes 1.25–4 x 0.5–1.25 mm. linear-oblong, tips inflexed and hairy, and with the long matted throat hairs extending over the lower third of the interior surface; anthers either with tips 0.5 mm. below the throat orifice or situated nearly in the middle of the tube. Style exserted 1.5–2.5(4) mm., the stigma lobes 1–1.5 mm. long.
Leaves paired; blades (3)4.5–13.5(16.5) x 1–4.5(5.5) cm., elliptic-, ovate-or oblong-lanceolate or elliptic, ± acute at the apex, rounded or cuneate at the base, pubescent above and on the venation beneath where the hairs have a bristly appearance; petiole obsolete or up to 7 mm. long; stipules with 1–10 setae, 1-9( 12) mm. long from a short base.
Inflorescences a small dense head 1.3–3(4) cm. in diam., scarcely enlarging in fruit, or sometimes laxer up to 6.5 cm. wide, sessile or peduncle 2–20 cm. long.
Herb 0.4–1.3 m. tall, mostly c. 30–45 cm., with 1–4 hairy or glabrescent mostly unbranched stems from a woody rootstock.
Calyx tube 1–2 mm. long and wide; lobes 1.5–8.5 x 0.5–2 mm., oblong, deltoid or minute, strigosely ciliate.
Flowers mostly deep purple-violet or indigo but sometimes paler, or even white particularly inside lobes.
Short-styled flowers very similar but anthers exserted 1.5 mm. (often hidden by the throat hairs).
Capsule 3–4 x 3 mm., with a rounded triangular beak 1.5–2 mm. tall.
Erect simple herb 1-2 ft. high, from a woody rootstock
Flowers mauve
