Aromatic woody-based spreading shrublet with numerous opposite branchlets, the erect shoots 5–20(–60) cm. tall; plant at first densely shortly hispid, the older stems at length almost glabrous with the bark papery and peeling in rust-coloured flakes. Leaves opposite or pseudo-verticillate, usually rather thick, sessile or shortly petiolate; blade elliptic or oblanceolate, 0.2–3 cm. long, 0.1–1 cm. wide, obtuse to acute at the apex, cuneate, crenate or serrate, usually markedly so, margins sometimes revolute, mostly densely scabrid-pubescent, sometimes glandular; petiole 0–3 mm. long; stipules linear or lanceolate, 1.5–2.5 mm. long, mostly not membranous, pubescent. Flowers 5-merous, solitary or in 2–8-flowered fascicles; pedicels 1–5 mm. long, pubescent. Sepals ovate, 2.5–5 mm. long, acute to distinctly acuminate, keeled, pubescent, usually with membranous margins. Petals obovate-oblong, ± equalling the sepals, 3–4 mm. long, 1.2–2 mm. wide, obtuse, white to pinkish-mauve, thin. Stamens 10, nearly equal or alternately shorter, those opposite the sepals often dilated below. Ovary ovoid, 5-sulcate; style 1–1.2 mm. long. Capsule pinkish, ovoid, 2 mm. long. Seeds oblong-ellipsoid, dark brown to black, shining, 0.5–0.6 mm. long, faintly reticulate. Fig. 1/9, p. 2.
