2n = 54

Characters of the radicate group. Short-lived perennials with lifespan about 2 years. Root branching, fleshy, brittle. Stems 10—150 cm tall, fleshy and brittle in life, juveniles with opposite leaves, adult plants with mostly alternate sessile leaves, some stems and laterals with lower leaves opposite. Branches often closely divaricating, young shoots hairy, with crowded leaves. Leaves usually elliptic to oblanceolate, 10-40 × 5-10 mm, regularly and closely serrate, glabrous, bright green, fleshy and glossy as if varnished (in life), sparsely hairy, with prominent midrib below; sometimes linear, entire. Flowers in different populations may be white, pastel lilac (HCC 437/1), or flax blue (HCC 642/2), on short slender pedicels 2—7 cm long. Corolla campanulate, (10—)12—15(—20) mm diam., 9—12 mm long, tube cylindrical (cup-shaped), 2 × 2 to 4 × 4 mm, lobes 5 × 4 to 8 × 5 mm, oblong, subacute, spreading; style protruding slightly from tube, slightly thickened in upper half, white. Stigmas 3 or 4, small. Calyx lobes glabrous, 3 × 1 to 4 × 1.5 mm, narrowly triangular, becoming radiate or recurved in fruit. Capsule glabrous, obconic, 6 × 4 to 10 × 5 mm, flat-topped or slightly concave at the top, valves flat until ripe. Self-fertile. Seeds 0.5 mm long. FL Oct- May, FR Nov—May.

W. insulae-howei similis, differt foliis serratis, supra politis, vernicosis, sparse pilosis. Corolla campanulata, 10—20 mm diam. Corollae tubus cylindricus, 3 × 3 mm to 4 × 4 mm; lobi oblongi, acuti, 5—6 mm longi, 4 mm lati. Capsula obconica, supra applanata, lobis radiantibus.