Cynoglossum creticum

Biennial herb with stout, more or less woody taproot. Stems (35–)60–80(–120) cm high, erect or suberect, usually unbranched, densely hairy with fine, spreading and loosely appressed, simple, unicellular hairs, the hairs on the proximal part of stem mostly short and retrorsely spreading, grading to a mixture of antrorsely appressed and spreading hairs. Leaves basal and cauline, simple, entire, grey green both surfaces densely villous, soft to touch, the bases of at least the larger hairs slightly bulbous or expanded and often dark-pigmented. Leaf venation brochidodromous. Basal leaves forming loose rosettes, the lamina narrowly elliptic to elliptic-oblanceolate, 10–35 cm long, (15–)50–80(–150) mm wide, apex acute; petiole 5–20 cm long, often as long as the lamina. Cauline leaves oblong to lanceolate, 2–20 cm long, 25–35 mm wide, decreasing in size towards inflorescence, both surfaces densely hairy, the base subcordate and stem-clasping, sessile or very shortly petiolate. Cymes ebracteate. Pedicels 2–7 mm long. Sepals ovate to oblong, 5–6 mm long, almost free from each other, enlarging as the fruit matures. Corolla campanulate, 8–10 mm diam., light pink with prominent darker pink reticulate veins as buds open, becoming light blue with dark blue reticulate veins at full anthesis, the lobes glabrous. Stamens inserted inside corolla tube. Mericarps ovoid, 6–8 mm long, 5–7 mm wide, attached ventrally near their tips, outer face convex, more or less uniformly covered with thick glochidiate spinules on dorsal surface, the spaces between the bases of the spinules densely verruculose-papillose.