Flowers usually few, rich blue or purple, borne on long stalks from the uppermost leaves, or sometimes arising directly from the basal rosette of leaves. Flowers large, with commonly 4 rounded petals (sometimes as many as 9) upto 7cm in size; Stamen filament whitish. Leaves stalked, the stalk sheathing at base, with oblancoelate to oblong elliptic coarsely toothed blade 10-30 cm, covered in rufous bristles; Uppermost leaves in a false whorl from which the flowers arise. Capsule ellipsoid – oblong to 5cm.