perennial cornflower 'Black Sprite'

A clump-forming, rhizomatous perennial to around 45cm high in flower, with a spreading habit and simple, downy green leaves. Flowers from late spring through the summer, with slender stems bearing buds encased in overlapping bracts, which open to large, showy dark reddish-purple flowers, with a ring of fine outer florets surrounding a crowd of tiny, near-black flowers in the centre