Sparingly to moderately branched, erect, low subshrub, ± woody below, (5–)15–30 cm; stem and branches terete, pale-striate, glabrous or thinly pilose. Leaves narrowly oblong to lanceolate-oblong, sessile, amplexicaul with rounded auricles, (1.5–)3–4.5 x (0.3–)0.6–1.4 cm, glabrous or thinly pilose, obtuse to subacute, mucronate. Inflorescence globose to ovoid, 0.8–1.5 cm long and 0.8-1.25 cm wide, peduncle (0.9–)1.8–4 cm. Bracts and bracteoles broadly ovate, glabrous or ciliate, bracteoles large and more broadly hyaline-margined. Flowers white. Outer 2 tepals oblong, c. 5–5.5 mm, indurate in the lower half when mature, firm, densely floccose with 2 pairs of lateral nerves, the upper half broadly hyaline-margined to almost entirely hyaline with a dark central vitta along the scarcely excurrent midrib; inner 3 similar but much narrower, somewhat constricted centrally, usually with only 1 pair of lateral nerves, both midrib and vitta ceasing below the apex; all tepals sometimes slightly falcate. Style 3–4 mm, glabrous. Capsule c. 2 mm, equally firm throughout, brownish-stramineous.
