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Annual or sometimes biennial or perennial very variable herb 6–90 cm. tall, with simple or sparsely branched stems covered with dense to sparse spreading often asperous hairs with tubercular bases and shorter hairs within the longitudinal grooves between the longitudinal ribs; the basal internodes are often reduced giving the appearance of a rosette of leaves; rootstock often swollen, particularly at stem junction.
Leaf blades 4.5–12 x 0.35–1.5(2.8) cm., lanceolate, acute at the apex, narrowed at the base into the stipule sheath, with long hairs on both surfaces or only on the midrib or glabrous except for the ± scabrid margins; stipules hairy, base 7–9 x 4.5 mm. at normal nodes, 0.8–2 cm. wide at the apical inflorescence-supporting node; fimbriae c. 5,3–8 mm. long at lower nodes, 8–11,2 mm. long at apical node.
Flowers in very dense mostly many-flowered apical heads, closely subtended by 2–4 leafy bracts, the heads varying greatly in size, 1–2.5 cm. wide; bracteoles linear, 5–7 mm. long, joined at the base, colourless, glabrous beneath, greenish and ciliate above; rarely an inflorescence at node below the apical one.
Calyx tube 1.7–5 x 2.8 mm., obconic or ellipsoid, glabrous; free limb 0.7–1.5 mm. long; lobes 4, 3–5.5 x 0.8–1.8 mm. at base but strongly tapering, linear-lanceolate, margins and sinuses scabridulous; some small intermediate lobes may also be present.
Corolla blue or violet-blue or with white tube and blue to violet limb with a white eye; tube (0.8) 1-2.3 cm. long, filiform-cylindrical; lobes 2.5–6 x 1.5–3 mm., oblong-elliptic, with a few hairs at the apex outside.
Seeds dark brown, 2.6 x 1.3 x 0.95 mm., ellipsoid, finely reticulate and rugulose, with a ventral narrow groove which widens at base and apex.
Capsule straw-coloured with numerous red longitudinal streak-like marks, 3.5 x 3 x 1.3 mm., glabrous.
Style exserted 2–4.5 mm.; stigma capitate, 1 mm. wide, slightly bifid, the lobes c. 0.6 mm. long.
Filaments exserted 2–4 mm.
