English: Round-headed rampion; Rampion; Pride of Sussex.
French: Raiponce.
Region: widespread, Europe, United Kingdom, Asia, Morocco.
Culture: fairy tale Rapunzel, Repelsteeltje in Dutch.
Habitat: grasslands, meadows, pasturelands, pine forests; prefers full sun, calcareous soils, altitude of 600 to 2400 metres.
BotanyKey: distinctive dense flower spikes.
Herb; perennial herb, ± 35 cm high.
Stem: erect, simple, glabrous, striated.
Leaves:variable in shape, larger, broader, ovate to lanceolate, serrated, petiolated; at the base of the stem, smaller, narrower, lanceolate to linear cauline leaves.
Inflorescence: head-shaped; distinctive dense flower spikes; erect panicle; ± 5 cm diameter, with usually 15 to 30 flowers.
Flowers: deep blue, almost purple, being a collection of smaller ones; petals blue or violet-blue, small tubes, opening at the top, outer bracts are lanceolate and usually two to four times longer than wide; flowering from May to August.
Fruit: capsule; containing numerous small seeds.