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Mericarps glabrous or minutely pubescent, c. 3.5–4 × 2 mm, somewhat laterally compressed hemispherical, deeply excavate on the commissural face, and with 2 broad longitudinal bands of spines on the curved dorsal face; spines numerous, almost covering the dorsal surface, 0.2–0.9 mm long, conical, sometimes slightly hooked at the apex; dorsal face transversally ridged; lateral face strongly ribbed; the commissure bordered by a hyaline membrane.
Racemes slender, 2.5–10 cm long with young flowers densely spaced towards the apex, and the progressively older flowers becoming more laxly spaced towards the base on the elongating axis; rhachis eventually up to 28 cm long; pedicels up to 1.5 mm long and erect in flower, up to 3 mm long and reflexed in fruit, rather densely puberulous-hirsute; bracts 3–4 mm long, lanceolate, acute.
Stem and branches erect or ascending, acutely 4-angular, hispid-pubescent with a mixture of small to large patent bristle-like hairs mostly hooked at the apex, some remaining straight and tapering to a fine apex, or ± glabrescent; nodes with a transverse band of acicular setae on the faces between pairs of opposite petioles.
Calyx persistent; tube 7–10 mm long, obsoletely 5-dentate at the apex, hispid-pubescent with a mixture of small to large patent bristle-like hairs mostly hooked at the apex, some remaining straight and tapering to a fine apex, becoming inflated and subspherical with a narrowed beak-like apex in fruit.
Corolla white with mauve tint, to purple, not persistent; tube 8–9 mm long, glabrous outside, hairy within; lobes obovate, rounded at the apex, the lower median one up to 4 × 3.5 mm, the others smaller.
Perennial herb, up to 400 mm tall, viscid throughout. Leaf blades acuminate at apex, laciniate-dentate, sessile or subsessile. Fruiting calyx conspicuously inflated. Flowers white, light blue or purple.
Perennial herb up to 40 cm tall with 1–several stems from a woody rootstock, somewhat bushy and branching from the base with the main branches sometimes equalling the stem in length.
Style 4–4.5 mm long at anthesis, persisting and elongating in fruit, included within the inflated calyx.
Schizocarp c. 3–4 mm long and 4.5 mm wide, round in outline.
Filaments hairy, c. 1.3 mm long; anthers c. 0.7 × l mm.
Fruit pendent.
