Plants perennial, forming small to moderate clumps, from elongate rhizomes. Stems erect, branched, 4-angled, 3–20 cm, glabrous. Leaves sessile; blade ovate to broadly lanceolate, widest below middle, 0.4–2 cm × 2–6 mm, coriaceous, base round, margins entire, apex acuminate, spinous, glabrous. Inflorescences with flowers solitary, subterminal in axils of foliage leaves, or terminal, 2–5-flowered cymes; bracts (when present) lanceolate, distally reduced, 3–14 mm, herbaceous, margins scarious, apex acuminate. Pedicels stiffly erect, 5–40 mm, glabrous. Flowers 10–13 mm diam.; sepals 5, 3-veined, lanceolate, 4.5–6 mm, margins narrow, scarious, apex acute, glabrous or sparsely pilose; petals 5, 5–7 mm, 1–1.5 times as long as sepals, blade apex with lobes oblanceolate; stamens 10, in 2 whorls; styles 3(–4), ascending and outwardly curved, 2 mm. Capsules olive green, ovoid, 4–6 mm, equaling and enclosed in sepals, opening by 6(–8) valves; carpophore absent. Seeds brown, reniform-rotund, 0.8–1.2 mm, rugose.
