Herb to c. 50 cm high, tufted or long rhizomatous. Basal leaves narrow- to broad-spathulate, 7–20 cm long, 7–25 mm wide; petiole 3–5 cm long; stem leaves lanceolate, decreasing in size towards inflorescence, apex acute, base obtuse, margins often undulate, sessile. Bracts leaf-like. Pedicels 2–20 mm long; sepals elliptic, 1.5–3 mm long, obtuse or rounded, connate in basal third, elongating slightly with age; corolla 3–4.5 mm long, glabrous except for papillose 2-lobed scales in throat, white or blue, tube slightly longer than the obtuse lobes; anthers to c. 1 mm long, apically constricted but lacking an appendage; style c. 1.5 mm long. Mericarps subglobose, 4–5 mm long, without a winged rim, pale brown; spines more or less equally scattered on the outer surface. Flowers mainly Sep.–Feb.
LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, Brid, VVP, VRiv, RobP, MuF, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, MonT, HFE, VAlp. Also SA, Qld, NSW, ACT, Tas. Widespread through most of the State, usually in moist places in open-forests and woodlands.
Flowers strongly and sweetly fragrant in warm weather. At least some populations include colonial, rhizomatous plants.
Apparent hybrids with Hackelia latifolia have been observed. See note after that species.
