Annual herb 20-150 mm tall, primary stem erect, soon branching from the base, branches ascending or decumbent, simple to sparingly branched, pubescent with retrorse ± appressed, acute hairs up to 0.3-0.4 mm long, distantly leafy, sometimes only 1 pair above the radical pair and the cotyledons. Leaf blade c. 3.5-20 x 2-10 mm tapering into a flat petiolar part often as long as the blade, but shorter on stem leaves, ovate in lowermost pair, elliptic-ovate to elliptic upwards, apex subacute, margins entire or obscurely dentate, both surfaces shortly pubescent, minutely glandular as well, longer hairs to c. 1 mm on margins, particularly of petiolar part. Flowers up to 20, at first crowded in a head, elongating into a spike in fruit, open in sunshine. Bracts adnate to calyx for 3-4.5 mm, lowermost c. 7-18.5 x 2-5 mm, elliptic to ovate in upper part, contracting into a broad membranous shaft, usually shortly pubescent on backs, hairs sometimes densest on lower half, very rarely backs almost glabrous, densely pubescent on inner face, margins with long hairs to 1.5 mm, occasional long hairs (to 1 mm) sometimes also on midline. Calyx 4.5-8 mm long, lips 1-3 mm long, finely pubescent, minutely glandular as well, long (up to c. 0.4-0.6 mm) acute hairs mainly on keels and at tips of teeth. Corolla tube 10-23(-35) mm long (throat 1.2-1.8 mm in diam.), usually densely pubescent with delicate acute hairs up to c. 0.3-0.4 mm long (sometimes minute glandular hairs as well), very rarely hairs confined to swollen apical part or whole tube glabrous; limb 7-12 mm in diam., regular, lobes eventually reflexed, mouth usually encircled by stiff acute erect hairs, hairs rarely few or wanting, lobes 3-7.5 x 2-7 mm, Y-shaped, bifid, usually shades of mauve or rosy-mauve (very rarely pale yellow), deep yellow star-shaped patch around mouth, rays extending well up shaft of lobe, often with a small crimson blotch at base of each lobe. Stamens usually 4, rarely the anticous pair aborted, posticous pair included or very rarely exserted, anthers 1.3-2 mm long, anticous pair exserted, anthers 0.3-0.8 mm long. Stigma 3-6 mm long, exserted. Style 11-18 mm long. Ovary c. 2-3.5 x 0.8 mm. Capsules c. 5-7 x 3 mm. Seeds 0.75-0.8 x 0.4-0.5 mm, pale mauvish-grey, colliculate, obscurely 3-angled, angles ± marked by very narrow pallid wings, or wings wanting.
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Erect or decumbent annual, 20-150 mm tall, stems with retrorse ± appressed hairs. Leaves well-spaced, sometimes few, glandular-pubescent. Flowers in a crowded head, eventually elongating into a spike, corolla tube 10-23 mm long, usually finely pubescent, mouth usually ringed by long, erect, acute hairs, lobes Y-shaped, violet to mauve to rosy mauve, rarely pale yellow, with a deep yellow star around mouth, often with a small crimson blotch at base, stamens 4 or rarely 2.
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