Stems erect, branch above, rough-hairy; leaves opposite, stemmed, to 7 inches long, more than 3/4 inch wide, lance-shaped to narrow egg-shaped, gradually tapering to a pointed tip, coarsely toothed, often lobed near base; flowers in pencil-like spikes.
Clump-forming, stems stiff, square, hairy, branch above; leaves lance-like, sharply toothed; flower clusters erect, slender, pencil-like spikes of tiny, tubular, 5-lobed, densely-packed, purplish-blue flowers; flowers bloom bottom to top, a few at a time.
Habitat
Moist fields, meadows, prairies, and swamps.
Flower Characteristics
Numerous pencil-like flower spikes branched upwards like the arms of a candelabra. Each flower spike has a ring of purplish-blue flowers; the flowers at the bottom of the spike bloom first, and the ring of flowers appears to advance upward to the tips.
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Leaves to 7 inches long, gradually become pointed, stemmed, often 3-lobed at base, and a variety of shapes, from lance-like to oval, hairless or rough hairy on both surfaces; coarsely toothed margins are deeply cut into various sized divisions.
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Schizocarp (fruit that splits into smaller (usually 1-seeded) segments).