Erect herb with several strict stems from a woody rootstock; stems 15–30 cm. tall, pubescent or ± densely covered with spreading white hairs which are thickened at the base.. Leaf-blades linear to linear-lanceolate, 2–5.8 cm. long, 1.5–6 mm. wide, acute at the apex, slightly narrowed to the base, ± scabrid with forwardly directed hairs on both surfaces; free petiole absent; stipule-sheath 4–5 mm. long, hairy, with 3 fimbriae 3–6.5 mm. long or 5 fimbriae in the case of the flower-bearing leaves.. Flowers borne in sessile clusters at the apex and sometimes at the node beneath; leafy bracts expanded at the base into the cup-like stipule-sheath; stipule-like bracts ± 8 mm. long, the base ± 4 mm. long, with a broad triangular central lobe and 2 lanceolate lobes on either side or reduced to a collection of fimbriae 4–5 mm. long.. Calyx-tube obovoid, 3 mm. long, hairy at the apex; lobes 2, triangular at base, drawn out into filiform tips, 3 mm. long, hairy, or 0, reduced to a hairy limb ± 1 mm. high.. Corolla deep blue; tube funnel-shaped, 5.5 mm. long, 4.5 mm. wide, hairy or glabrescent outside, strongly narrowed at the extreme base with a ring of hairs inside at the base; lobes triangular, 5 mm. long, 3 mm. wide, densely hairy outside.. Filaments exserted 2 mm.. Style exserted ± 4 mm. with some sparse hairs near the apex; stigma biglobose, 1.2 mm. wide.. Capsule not seen.. Fig. 51/32, p. 344, and 54.
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