Pale green annual 2.5-7·5 cm. tall, forming small tufts or ball-like clumps. Stems simple or branched, erect, very slender, sparingly lfy, us. ∞, sts flowering when ± 15 mm. long. Basal lvs us. few, ± 10 × 2-4mm., narrow-spathulate, obtuse; cauline lvs few, 4-9 × 2-3 mm., oblong- to obovate-spathulate; petiole very short, upper lvs sessile. Fls solitary, terminal, sts closely subtended by bracts. Calyx 5-6 mm. long, cut 1/2-⅔ way; lobes broad-ovate, acute to apiculate. Corolla ± 1 × 1 cm., cut > ⅓ way; lobes ovate, subacute, apiculate.

n = c. 18

Plants monocarpic, annual, height in flower 20–140 mm. Caudex unbranched, 25–35 mm long. Root 0.5–0.9 mm diam. at stem base. Flowering stems terminal and lateral, 2–8 per plant, central flowering stem 0.9–1.9 mm diam. at base, 0.3–1.0 mm diam. when dried; stem colour green, tinted crimson or purple-black, lateral flowering stems erect to decumbent, flowering stem leaves 1–5 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from near base of flowering stem to near apex of flowering stem. Rosette of leaves absent from flowering plants, basal leaves narrowly elliptic or elliptic or ovate, 9–20 mm long, 2.6–6.4 mm wide, green, flat, not recurved, apex acute or rounded; petiole distinct or indistinct, 3.5–8.8 mm long, 1.0–2.6 mm wide at leaf base. Flowering stem leaves elliptic to ovate, apices rounded or acute. Pedicels 1 per leaf axil, 4.5–32 mm long, 0.7–1.8 mm diam., 0.5–0.7 mm diam. when dry. Flowers 1–30(–81) per plant, 8.2–13 mm long, sometimes female. Calyx 6.0–8.5 mm long, green tinted purple-black, at lower lobe margins, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line absent or present; (4–)5- lobed, lobes 2.6–5.0 mm long, 2.2–5.2 mm wide at base, strongly ridged between the lobes, plane or recurved, margins smooth, apices acute, sinus hairs abundant. Corolla 7.6–12 mm long, white, sometimes tinted purple at corolla tips; tube 2.6–4.6 mm long; lobes 4.5–8.3 mm long, 3.3–5.9 mm wide, hairs below sinus absent or present; nectary 0.4– 1.1 mm from corolla base. Filaments 4.3–7.8 mm long from corolla base, 0.6–0.9 mm wide. Anthers 0.8–1.4 mm long, anther wall blue-black, occasionally pale blue, mouth yellow, extrorse or horizontal at anthesis. Stigma colourless. Ovules 11–32 per ovary. Capsule 8–9 mm long. FL Jan–Apr.