Plants perennial, with dense tuft of basal leaves; taproot stout. Flowering stems several, stiffly erect, 2–10(–12) cm, densely pubescent distally, hairs multicellular, with glandular tip; stem leaves in 1 or 2 pairs. Leaves: blade narrowly oblanceolate and long-spatulate, to 2.5 cm × 4 mm, somewhat fleshy, apex acute, ± glabrous except for ciliate margins. Inflorescences 1(–3) per flowering stem. Flowers erect; mature calyx veined, elliptic, not inflated or thin, 7–10(–12) mm, densely pubescent with purple-septate hairs, margins dentate with 1–1.5 mm lobes, apex acute, outwardly curved, veins not much- broadened distally, intermediate ones shorter than calyx, veins and calyx lobes dark purple; petals white or pink, to 11/4 times calyx, claw narrow, 10–12 mm, limb not differentiated from claw, obovate, emarginate, ca. 3 mm; stamens equaling calyx; styles 5, equaling calyx. Capsules equaling calyx, opening by 5 teeth, tardily splitting into 10, triangular, outwardly curved. Seeds brown, reniform to angular, (0.5–)0.7–1(–1.3) mm diam., wrinkled, wing narrow, less than 1/4 diam. of seed. 2n = 24.
