67 or more in the inner, to 34 or more in the outer incisions, inner divisions rhomboid-cuneate, 3-lobed to the middle, with the inner lobe elongated and pinnati-laciniate, outer divisions much smaller, trapezoid, 2-lobed, all the lobes and laciniæ broadly inciso-dentate, teeth usually triangular, upper blades very similar, but smaller and less deeply divided or 3-partite, with intermediate division much longer than lateral. Inflorescence an erect stiff, usually dense raceme, about 15-20 cm. long, rarely lax and with slender few-flowered ascending additional branches from below, finely adpressedly pubescent or rarely with short spreading hairs; axis rather slender, lowest bracts 3-partite, upper ovate to deltoid, all acutely and coarsely dentate; braeteoles usually present, resembling the upper bracts, but much smaller; pedicels slender, erect, often almost adpressed to the axis, lowest up to 4 cm. long, the upper much shorter. Sepals blue, with very dark tips (in the dry state), pubescent; uppermost helmet-shaped, helmet obliquely semi-orbicular in profile, very shortly beaked, 16-22 mm. high, 18-22 mm. long, from the tip to the base, 8-9 mm. wide; lateral sepals oblique, suborbicular or ovate-orbicular, 14-18 mm. long, lower sepals oblong-elliptic, obtuse 8-10 mm. long. Nectaries extinguisher-shaped, claw erect, 13-15 mm. long, minutely hispid, hood leaning forwards or almost horizontal, slightly constricted or obscurely gibbous on the back, close to the top, lip spathulate, broad, crenulate. Carpels 5, obliquely oblong, conniving in the flower, soon slightly divergent, gradually passing into rather long style, quite glabrous and black when dry, or sometimes more or less very minutely silky-pubescent. Follicles erect and contiguous or slightly diverging upwards, oblong rounded at the top, 14-18 mm. long, 4-5 mm. broad, glabrous, faintly reticulate. Seeds brown, obconic. 3-4 mm. long, winged (often broadly) along the rhaphe, with undulate, hyaline, rather wide and distant transverse lamellæ.
Variety, Latilobium, Stapf.
Roots up to 12 cm. long, and 2·5 cm. thick, with few fibres. Upper leaf-blades 3-partite to 56; up to 6·5 cm. high, 10 cm.
