Low to short erect plant, simple or branched, the branches ascending. Leaves oval to lanceolate, the basal ones forming a distinct rosette. Flowers dull purple, blue, pink or whitish 14 to 22 mm long usually five parted.

Provide photographs of the plant in its habitat, and details of flowers. (RPR)

Open calcareous grassland, especially in old limestone quarries.

Flowers June to October.

Annual or biennial.

Widespread but local in Britain.

Scarce and decreasing  in Leicestershire and Rutland, now almost confined to old limestone quarries in the east of the area. 

In the Flora of Leicestershire (Primavesi and Evans 1988) it was found in 4 of the 617 tetrads, and in the and in the Flora of Rutland (Messenger 1971) in 9 tetrads.

It is listed on the current VC55 Rare Plant Register (Hall and Woodward 2022) as Locally Scarce (i.e. present in 4-10 sites)