Short perennial herb, 12–17 cm., considerably branched below with numerous stems arising from a tough rootstock, the stems simple or very sparingly branched, quadrangular upwards but terete below, more or less furnished with whitish, lanate hairs. Leaves thinly to moderately lanate, more so on the lower surface, linear, 12–40 × 1.5–3 mm., sessile, acute to subacute at the apex, dark green (at least in the dry state). Inflorescence subglobose to shortly cylindrical, 2–4 × 1.5 cm.,axis densely white-lanate, shortly but distinctly pedunculate with a 1–2.5 cm. long peduncle which is increasingly lanate upwards. Bracts ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 4.5–6 mm. long, subglabrous to more or less pilose over most of the surface, the green central portion almost as wide as each pale, membranous margin, midrib shortly excurrent in a rather blunt arista. Bracteoles ovate-lanceolate, 4–5 mm. long, almost entirely membranous, glabrous to thinly pilose, the midrib excurrent in a short (c. 1 mm.) sharp arista. Tepals lanceolate-oblong, all similar in form, densely furnished over the entire surface with long, appressed-matted whitish hairs, broadly white-margined, the green centre strongly 3-nerved, midrib not excurrent in an arista, the rather blunt apices very densely pilose; outer 2 tepals 5–7 mm. long, the inner 3 slightly shorter. Stamens 3.5–4 mm. long, filaments pilose near the base; pseudo-staminodes—1–1.25 mm. long, flabellate, shortly pilose all round, the well-developed dorsal scale divided into very long, filiform fimbriae. Ovary squatly turbinate, c. 1 mm. long, with a faint apical keel; style slender, 3.5–4 mm. long. Mature fruit unknown.
