Glab. perennial herb up to c. 3 dm. tall; taproot rather fleshy, up to c. 5 mm. diam., whitish, deeply descending; stock stout, us. multicipital, emitting ∞ ascending branches 2-3 mm. diam. (lower parts often buried in debris, whitish; aerial parts us. purplish). Lvs ∞, close-set, subsessile. Lamina coriac., linear, erect to patent, finally reflexed; margins often white, ± recurved, entire to obscurely toothed, midrib prominent below; 2-5 cm. × 2-3·5 mm.; apex obtuse to apiculate (rarely retuse). Peduncle simple or with several branches, up to ± 15 cm. long, bracted; bracts linear, 15-4 mm. long. Fls 2-3 cm. diam. Calyx-lobes ± 5 mm. long, linear to narrowly ovate, acute. Corolla-tube ± 8 mm. long; lobes ± 10 mm. long, narrow-ovate, ± apiculate, pale lilac to whitish. Style = corolla-tube; stigma white, 2-3-lobed. Capsule obconic, ± (6)-8-11-(12) mm. long.

n = 18

Perennial herb of erect or spreading sub-shrubby growth, 10—30 cm tall, initially with fleshy white tap-root, rhizomes developing later in suitable conditions. Stems branching from the rootstock, brownish white at the base, 2—3 mm diam., aerial parts purplish, glabrous, clothed with numerous, crowded, spirally arranged, spreading, sessile leaves. Leaves uniform, linear, glabrous, 10 × 1 to 50x3 mm, margins entire or distantly and obscurely toothed, sometimes recurved. Stems branching at the top into 2 or more almost naked scapes 10—15 cm long, simple or branched again with a few narrowlinear bracts 5—15 mm long, distantly placed. Flowers terminal on each peduncle, pale flax blue to pale blue-lilac with white zoning and deeper blue or violet veins, or completely white; corolla 20-40 mm diam., deeply campanulate with tube 7 × 5 to 9 × 6 mm, lobes spreading, ovate-lanceolate, 10 × 6- 20 × 8 mm. Anthers linear, 4 mm long, style equalling corolla tube, stigma usually 2-lobed. Calyx glabrous, linear-triangular, 4—5 × 1 mm; capsule glabrous, domed obconic, 6 × 4 to 12 × 6 mm long. Seeds 0.5 mm long. FL Dec-Apr, FT Jan-Apr.