Annual herb to 20 cm high. Stems usually profusely branched or simple, angles narrowly winged. Leaves sessile, somewhat fleshy, lanceolate to elliptic, 8–23 mm long, 3–7 mm wide, acute, base decurrent, margins revolute. Inflorescences axillary with two flowers at each node, flowers maturing acropetally; subtending bracts usually longer than flowers. Flowers 4-merous, sessile, white. Calyx leathery, tube ± 2–3.5 mm long; segments lanceolate, 1.3–2.5 mm long, ± 1 mm wide at base, acuminate, veins forming prominent ribs. Corolla tube ± 4–5 mm long; lobes elliptic, ± 1–2 mm long, 0.5–0.8 mm wide, obtuse to subacute. Filaments ± 1.6 mm long; anthers oblong to ellipsoid, 0.4–0.5 mm long. Ovary oblong, 2.5–2.8 mm long, 0.7–1 mm diameter; style ± 2 mm long; stigma distinctly bilobed, lobes ± 0.3–0.6 mm long, papillate on inner surface. Capsule oblong-obovoid, 2.3–3 mm long, 1–1.4 mm diameter, valves characteristically curling inward at the base after dehiscence. Seeds numerous, sub-pyramidal to cylindrical to cuboid, ± 0.4–0.5 mm in diameter, surface reticulate-pitted. Fig. 7 (p. 28).
