Herb, up to 20 cm diam., forming loose to compact mats. Leaves up to 35 × 3.2 mm, spathulate; lamina narrowly elliptic to elliptic; adaxial and abaxial surfaces red-brown to red, usually dull; adaxial surface ± flat or sometimes slightly concave; abaxial surface ± flat or sometimes slightly convex; apex obtuse; base attenuate; petiole usually distinct but grading into lamina base; old leaves orange to orange-yellow. Involucral leaves 3.1–3.5 × 3.2–3.5 mm, red-brown; lateral fold absent or indistinct; apex obtuse. Flowers 9.5–14 mm diam. Tepals 4.8–7.9 × 2.3–4.6 mm, broadly elliptic to obovate, white in bud and at maturity—usually flushed pink, not overlapping; apex obtuse, rarely notched; claw weakly differentiated. Nectary green. Filaments 2.8–3.8 mm long, slightly > or ± = ½ tepal length, white. Anthers 0.7–0.8 × 0.3–0.4 mm, pink to pink-red. Ovary 0.9–1.2 × 0.8–1.0 mm, obovoid, red-green to brown-green; sutures not prominent. Style 2.4–3.1 mm long; white with base flushed green. Stigmatic branches 1.2–1.6 mm long, white, straight prior to spreading. Capsule 2.4–2.7 × 1.7– 2.1 mm. Seeds 1.4–1.7 × 1.2–1.6 mm, slightly to moderately rugose, dark brown, red-brown, to black. FL Nov–Jan; FT Dec–Mar.

A N. calycina foliis crassioribus, rubro-brunneis vel rubris, tepalis plerumque roseo-tinctis, filamentis brevioribus, ovario rubro-vel brunneo-tincto, et habitatione in rudere stabile e particulas subtiles composito distinguenda.