Stem upright, either simple or at times branching from 
the base, bare in the garden plant, hairy in the wild one, 
thickly leaved at the lower half, a foot or much more in 
height. Leaves numerous, scattered, exactly linear or 
straight-sided, from an inch and a half to two and a 
half long, about two lines broad, slightly blunted, entire, 
flat, nearly bare in the cultivated plant, slightly furred or 
hispid in the other. Flowers crowded into terminal solitary 
blue heads rather larger than those in montana, each head 
borne on a leafless peduncle about 6 or 8 inches long. Jn- 
volucre of 12-13 flat horizontal leaflets with a few sharp 
teeth round the edge. 
As yet rare in our flower-borders, though a free and 
abundant flowerer, of long duration and very ornamental. 
