Perennial tufted or cushion herb 10–22 cm. tall, with up to ± 25 simple or branched erect or suberect mostly bifariously pubescent stems from a woody rootstock. Leaves paired; blades narrowly elliptic or linear- to elliptic-lanceolate, 0.7–2 cm. long, 1.3–8 mm. wide, subacute or obtuse at the apex, rounded or cuneate at the base, usually with revolute margins, pubescent with short bristly hairs above and with longer hairs on the midvein above and beneath or practically glabrous on both surfaces; petiole obsolete or up to 1 mm. long; stipules with 3–4 subulate fimbriae 0.5–2 mm. long from a short base. Flowers in small terminal heads ± 1 cm. long and wide which in the fruiting stage elongate to 1–3 cm., or very few at the apices of the shoots. Calyx-tube ovoid, 0.8 mm. long, densely pilose with white hairs; lobes 4–5, 1–2 foliaceous, 2–6 mm. long, 0.5–2 mm. wide, similar in shape and indumentum to the leaf-blades, rest setiform, up to 0.8 mm. long. Corolla rose, pale blue, white, lilac or pink; buds with limb abruptly expanded into an ovoid head, glabrous or with a few bristly hairs at the apex; tube narrowly filiform, (3–)4.5–5.5 mm. long, 0.2 mm. wide, glabrous; lobes 4–5, lanceolate, 2.2–2.8 mm. long, 0.8–1 mm. wide, glabrous or with a few hairs outside at the apex. Stamens 4–5, exserted for usually just over half the length of the corolla-lobes; filaments glabrous. Style filiform, stigma bifid (rarely trifid), lobes filiform 1.5 mm. long; style and stigma together exserted for about the length of the corolla lobes. Fruits elongate-ovoid, 2.2–2.5 mm. long, 1–1.5 mm. wide, spreading hairy. Seeds brown, oblong, 1.5–1.9 mm. long, 0.9–1.1 mm. wide, granulate, slightly keeled dorsally and with an oblong depression around the hilum.
