Perennials with somewhat swollen ir­regular base, with branches up to 0,3 m long, much branched and usually with pale grey to brown flaking bark. Leaves linear, 5-15(-20) x 2-3(-4) mm, cuneate, usually apiculate, terete or slightly grooved above, usually curved upwards, glabrous, usually dull green and often with brown striations. Inflorescence a thyrse with 1-3 monochasia, each with 1 or 2 flowers, but usually only one flower per inflorescence in nature, gla­brous or almost so; peduncle up to 10 mm long, purplish brown; pedicels 4—10 mm long. Calyx 1,5-2,5 mm long, glabrous, green; lobes triangular, acute. Corolla gla­brous outside, pink to deep red; tube cylin­drical, 10-13 mm long, with fine hairs in throat; lobes 4—5 mm long, recurved. An­thers 1,2-1,4 mm long. Squamae oblong, 1,5-2,5 x 0,9-1 mm, often somewhat broadened in lower third, usually deeply emarginate, fleshy, yellow.