Colenso's description is: "Plant very small, 1/2 in. high, simple, tufted, glabrous; root 2 in. long, slender, hard, white; sometimes 2-4 branches (tufts) rising distantly from one long branched root. Leaves radical, numerous, sub 20, close, spreading, somewhat verticillate, linear-spathulate, 4 lines long (including petiole), 1 line broad, tip rounded very obtuse, with 2 small crenulate serratures on each side, tapering gradually to base, pale-green, shining. Flower large (for plant), solitary, terminal, drooping; scape 1/2 in.-3/4 in. high, very slender, bare. Calyx campanulate, 2 lines long, dark-green, 5-lobed; lobes cut half-way down, linear-acuminate-obtuse, 1-nerved. Corolla 5 lines long, sub 1/2 in. diameter, white, lobes pale-blue, 2-nerved, triangular, subacute, half length corolla. Style flat, 2-nerved, densely minutely tuberculate on each side and upwards to top of stigma; stigmas 2, oblong-lanceolate."

Perennial rhizomatous herb with rosulate tufts of leaves at ground level. Leaves bright green, glossy, glabrous or with a few scattered hairs, oblong to oblanceolate to obovate to orbicularspathulate, 10 × 3 to 20 × 5 mm, sessile or gradually narrowed to a flat petiole 2 mm wide. Leaf margin subentire to serrate or crenate-serrate, or dentate, often undulate, sometimes red, with 2—7 exserted glandular marginal teeth on each side. Flowers erect or nodding on short upright scapes, 4—10 cm tall, which may be naked or 1—2-bracted. Corolla soft blue and white, sometimes pure white or all blue, usually with deeper-coloured veins; up to 30 mm diam., up to 18 mm long, broadly campanulate with tube as broad as or broader than long, lobes c. 9 × 7 mm, spreading, broadly elliptic-lanceolate, acute. Calyx lobes c. 3 × 1.5 mm, glabrous, narrow-triangular. Capsule c. 10 × 6 mm, glabrous, domed cylindrical to plump barrel-shaped. Seeds ellipsoid, glossy brown. Usually insect-pollinated, some forms self-fertile. FL Dec-May, FT Jan-May.