Herbs, biennial, rarely annual or perennial, multi-stemmed from base, hirtellous and glandular-hairy. Stems erect, much-branched, bearing basal rosettes. Leaves alternate, ascending, sessile; blade pea green, not glaucous, elliptic-oblong to linear, semiterete with flattened adaxial face, 3–8 × 1.4–1.9 mm, base short-spurred, not scarious, apex obtuse. Flowering shoots erect, simple or branched from base, 2–10 cm; leaf blades elliptic-oblong to linear, base short-spurred; offsets not formed. Inflorescences dense to congested corymbs, 3–10-flowered, 2–3-branched; branches not recurved, not forked; bracts similar to leaves, smaller. Pedicels 3–8 mm. Flowers 5-merous; sepals erect, distinct, green speckled with red or dark purple, lanceolate or ovate-elliptic, equal, 2–4 × 1–1.5 mm, apex obtuse, (glandular-hairy); petals stellately spreading, distinct, pink-red with darker midvein area abaxially, elliptic-ovate, not carinate basally, 3–4.5 mm, apex acute, (rarely glandular-hairy); filaments white; anthers red; nectar scales red, reniform or subquadrate. Carpels erect in fruit, distinct, bright yellowish green turning dark wine-red. 2n = 30.
