Annual though perennating in shaded situations. Stems erect or sprawling, often rigid and more or less woody, up to 70 cm high, with many spreading or ascending branches, those at the base often very long. Leaves scattered, ovate-lanceolate or oblong, 0.4-1.2 cm long, 0.3-0.5 cm wide, acute, sharply toothed, in open sites rigid and prickly, the bases with short smooth decurrent wings. In shaded plants the leaves are spreading, in open sites falcate-squarrose, with the older reflexed. Flower heads small, terminating all the branches, often 1-flowered but sometimes 2-5. Bracts wider than the leaves and more rigid, 0.7-1.5 cm long, 0.4-0.7 cm wide, not clasping, toothed in the upper part, ciliate below, the long acuminate point squarrose. Calyx lobes slightly longer than the bracts, ciliate, acuminate, sometimes subpungent. Corolla 1-1.5 cm long, pale blue or almost white, funnel-shaped, the lobes almost twice as long as the tube. Ovary glabrous.
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Annual or short-lived perennial to 70 cm. Leaves scattered, spreading or recurved, ovate-lanceolate, prickly toothed, apiculate, ciliate below and decurrent; bracts broadly lanceolate. Flowers 1-5 in terminal heads, white or pale blue, ± 10-15 mm diam., ovary glabrous.
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