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Perennial erect herb, up to 50 cm tall, from a thick taproot. Stems several, glabrous or ± puberulous; old stems with persistent leaf-bases. Leaves alternate, sessile, usually many and densely set, often clustered (in southern Africa), linear or rarely narrowly oblanceolate, 5-30 mm long, 0.2-1.2(-3) mm wide, margin not cartilaginous, flat or ± involute, entire or lower leaves sparsely dentate (in southern Africa rarely narrowly lobed). Inflorescence lax; pedicels 3-25 mm long, glabrous or puberulous, or rarely flowers subsessile. Hypanthium 10-nerved, glabrous or rarely ± puberulous. Calyx-lobes (1.2-)1.5-4(-6) mm long, entire, glabrous or ± puberulous. Corolla 5-13 mm long, blue, lobed to 1/3 or 1/4 of the length; tube 3.5-9 mm long, puberulous inside near the base, sometimes the inside ± densely set with long hairs (in southern Africa). Stamens 3-7 mm long; filament-bases narrowly dilated, ciliate; anthers 1.5-3.5 mm long. Ovary 3-locular, semi-inferior. Style shorter than the corolla, eglandular, not markedly thickened in the upper part, glabrous or hairy below; lobes 3, ± 0.8 mm long. Capsule 3-locular, obconical or rarely hemispherical, 10-nerved; valves 2-3 mm long. Seeds narrowly oblong to broadly elliptic in outline, 0.4-0.9 mm long, ± wrinkled; testa ± distinctly reticulate.
Leaves 5–30 x 0·2–1·2(3) mm., alternate, sessile, usually many and densely set, often fascicled (in southern Africa), linear or rarely narrowly oblanceolate, margin not incrassate, flat or ± involute, entire or lower leaves sparsely dentate (in southern Africa rarely narrowly lobed or incised).
Perennial herb, erect, 0.15-0.50 m high. Leaves sessile, linear to filiform, entire or lower leaves sparsely dentate, crowded, often clustered. Flowers blue. Corolla: tube hairy inside, half length of corolla. Stigma: lobes without glands. Flowering time Jan.-July.
Subshrub to 50 cm, with wand-like branches. Leaves linear to filiform, often in axillary tufts, margins revolute. Flowers in lax panicles, narrowly bell-shaped, 5-10 mm diam., blue or purple, ovary glabrous.
Corolla 5–13 mm. long, blue, lobed to 1/3 or 1/4 of the length; tube 3·5–9 mm. long, puberulous inside near the base, sometimes the inside ± densely set with long hairs (in southern Africa).
Ovary 3–locular, semi–inferior; style shorter than the corolla, eglandular, not markedly thickened in the upper part, glabrous or hairy below; lobes 3, c. 0·8 mm. long.
Perennial erect herb, up to 50 cm. tall, from a thick taproot; stems several, glabrous or ± puberulous; old stems with persistent leaf–bases.
Seeds 0·4–0·9 mm. long, narrowly oblong to broadly elliptic in outline, ± wrinkled; testa ± distinctly reticulate.
Inflorescence lax; pedicels 3–25 mm. long, glabrous or puberulous, or rarely flowers subsessile.
Capsule 3–locular, obconical or rarely hemispherical, 10–nerved, valves 2·3 mm. long.
Stamens with filament–bases narrowly dilated, ciliate; anthers 1·5–3·5 mm. long.
Calyx–lobes (1·2)1·5–4(6) mm. long, entire, glabrous or ± puberulous.
Hypanthium 10–nerved, glabrous or rarely ± puberulous.
