Annual or perennial; stem single, sometimes up to 5-branched at the top, straight, 15–25 cm. long, sometimes ascending and rooting in the lower parts, becoming thickened and normally rough with many leaf-scars on the upper part on older plants, shortly pilose, the hairs becoming denser towards the top. Leaves in a single rosette at top of stem or branches, up to 10 cm. long, 3–10 (–18)-jugate; petiole up to 15(–18) mm. long, long-hirsute towards the base; rhachis pubescent; leaflets obliquely oblong, rectangular, acute to abruptly and shortly apiculate, truncate at the base except for the terminal ones which are almost cuneate, the terminal ones the largest, 12–14(–23) mm. long, 4–6(–11)mm. wide, pubescent (sometimes sparingly so) beneath, glabrous above except sometimes along the midrib and at the ciliate margin; lateral nerves thin but distinct beneath, numerous, in up to 13 or more pairs, almost parallel, making an acute angle with the midrib. Peduncles ± as long as the leaves, closely hairy; bracts many, making a globular or oblong head 4–5 mm. in diameter, ovate-lanceolate, 1.5–2 mm. long, subacute, 1-nerved; pedicels up to 6 mm. long, pilose. Sepals lanceolate, 4–4.5 mm. long, acute, 3–6-nerved, sparsely and shortly hairy. Corolla 5.5 mm. long, cream, glabrous; petals at first free, afterwards falsely shortly connate above the free pointed bases, rounded at the apex. Filaments connate for 0.5 mm. at the base; short filaments 1–2 mm. long and glabrous, almost white; long filaments 2.5–3.5 mm. long and hairy, darker coloured. Ovary globose, deeply 5-lobed; styles longer than the 2 filament whorls or shorter and then deflexed, joined for 0.5 mm. to form a stylar tube, hairy with club-shaped hairs in the upper half, widening into a flattened stigmatic surface. Capsule globular or ± obovoid, overtopped by remains of styles. Seeds 3 in each locule, 1.0–1.3 mm. long and 0.7 mm. wide, reddish-brown, longitudinally ribbed.
