Description ²

Herbs perennial. Roots fibrous, 0.5--1 mm in diam., rather densely tomentose. Rhizomes horizontal. Main stem undeveloped, very short; fertile stems usually 2, arising from rosette, long, creeping, ascending apically, 20--60 cm; internodes ca. 10 cm, pubescent throughout or only on 1 side. Basal leaves rosulate; leaf blade linear, 20--30 × 1.2--1.8 cm, glabrous on both surfaces or abaxially puberulent, margin ciliate proximally. Cauline leaves with sheath pubescent throughout or only hispid-ciliate at mouth; leaf blade ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, 3--12 × 1--1.5 cm, glabrous on both surfaces or abaxially scabrid. Cincinni (1--)3--5, densely flowered, capitate; peduncle 2--3 cm; involucral bracts leaflike but smaller than leaves; bracts orbicular, 5--7 mm, caducous; pedicels very short, strongly curved, elongate to 2--3 mm in fruit. Sepals ovate-elliptic, ca. 4 mm. Petals blue, obovate-orbicular. Fertile stamens 2; filaments pubescent; staminodes 3; antherodes 3-sect. Capsule broadly ellipsoid, trigonous, ca. 4 mm, Seeds 2 per valve, yellow-brown, radiate striate, white reticulate, not pitted. Fl. May--Nov.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) guzhengman, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/guzhengman/2158571388/
2. (c) Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/5011095

More Info