Herbs perennial, 25--50 cm tall. Roots robust, lignified. Stems sparsely caespitose, erect, branched, glabrous or sparsely short villous. Basal leaves withered at anthesis. Cauline leaves with short sterile axillary branches, oblanceolate, 2--6 cm × 5--13 mm, both surfaces glabrous to slightly pubescent, margin shortly ciliate, midvein prominent, base attenuate into short petiole, apex acute. Flowers erect, in a densely capitate, few-flowered thyrse. Pedicel 5--18 mm, slender, subglabrous; bracts linear, 2--3 mm, glabrous to sparsely ciliate. Calyx narrowly tubular, 1.5--2 cm × ca. 2 mm, glabrous or sparsely short hairy, clavate in fruit, longitudinal veins violet or green; calyx teeth ca. 1.5 mm. Androgynophore 1--1.2 cm, glabrous. Petal claws narrowly oblanceolate, glabrous, auricles not obvious; limbs exserted beyond calyx, violet, bifid to middle or more; lobes rounded, subentire or 2-or 3-laciniate toothed. Stamens exserted; filaments glabrous. Styles exserted. Styles 3. Capsule 8--10 mm. Seeds grayish brown, triangular-reniform, ca. 1 mm, with angular pit on one side. Fl. Jun--Jul, fr. Jul--Aug.
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