Perennial forming lax to rather compact patches up to c. 15 cm. diam.; stems us. several, up to ± 15 cm. long, arising from a simple or branched stock, decumbent at base, then erect or ascending, slender. Lvs ∞, crowded at base of stems and branches, dark green, glossy above. Basal and lower lvs ∞, crowded, sessile or subsessile, with several minute scales at base, ± 8-15 × 2-3 mm., narrow-spathulate to narrow-elliptic to sublanceolate, rather thick and coriac. Upper cauline lvs similar, shorter, in 2-4 distant pairs. Infl. terminal and subterminal, fls paired or in threes or occ. solitary; bracts paired, similar to upper cauline lvs. Calyx c. 8 mm. long, cut ? way or more into narrow-triangular or subulate to subacuminate lobes. Corolla white, ± 12 mm. diam. and long, sub-campanulate, cut ? to 3/4 way into oblong- to broad-obovate obtuse lobes.

Perennial with long slender root crowned by us. branched stock emitting 1-5 stout margined stems, decumbent, then ascending to erect, 10-25 cm. long. Basal lvs ∞ in compact tufts; lamina narrow-lanceolate to linear-oblong, 10-35 × 3-8 mm., subacuminate, dark green, glossy above, thick towards apex, sessile by broad base. Cauline lvs ∞, crowded towards base of branch; lamina ± 20 × 4 mm., acute; upper in distant pairs, similar but smaller. Fls 12-20 mm. diam., in 2-7-fld terminal umbels or corymbose cymes. Bracts ± 15 × 5 mm., similar to upper cauline lvs, apiculate. Pedicels slender, c. 10 mm. long. Calyx c. 8-9 mm. long; lobes subulate to lanceolate, acute or subacute, sinus narrow. Corolla 12-20 mm. diam., white, cut ± 3/4 way into obovate-oblong obtuse lobes.

2n = 36

2n = 36

n = 18

Plants polycarpic, rarely monocarpic and biennial, height in flower 80–290 mm. Caudex unbranched or branched, 35–120 mm long. Stolons arising from branched caudex occasionally present. Root 1.2–2.0 mm diam. at stem base. Flowering stems terminal on main caudex or its branches, 1–16 per plant, largest flowering stem 1.0–2.5 mm diam. at base, 0.9–2.0 mm diam. when dry, stems tinted purple-black, rarely green, erect or decumbent, flowering stem leaves 3–5 pairs per stem, lowest pedicels from near apex of flowering stem, flowers often solitary on a stem. Rosettes of leaves present but grading to flowering stem leaves, leaves narrowly elliptic, glossy, thick in texture without projecting veins, (12.0–)14.5–25(–31) mm long, (1.8–)2.4–5.7(–6.0) mm wide, green, rarely tinted crimson below, flat or slightly V-shaped, not recurved, apex acute, petiole absent, leaf 1.0–2.2–3.4 mm wide at leaf base. Flowering stem leaves narrowly ovate. Pedicels 1 or 2 per leaf axil, 2–27 mm long, 0.9–1.4 mm diam., 0.5–0.65 mm diam. when dry. Flowers 1–24 per plant, 13.0–18.3 mm long. Calyx 6.8–10.8 mm long, green or tinted purple-black or brown, hairs at calyx–corolla fusion line present; lobes 4.1–8.1 mm long, 1.9–3.2 mm wide at base, plane, apices acute, margins smooth, sinus hairs absent, sparse, or abundant. Corolla (10.9–)13.6–16.8 mm long, white, veins uncoloured; tube 3.0–4.5 mm long, lobes 8.3–12.5 mm long, 7.0–10.9 mm wide, hairs below sinus present; nectary 0.3–0.6 mm from corolla base. Filaments 7.1–9.4 mm long from corolla base, 0.7–0.9 mm wide. Anthers 1.8–2.9 mm long, anther wall blue-black, mouth yellow, extrorse at anthesis. Stigma colourless. Ovules 28–64 per ovary, turning slightly blue in maturity. Capsule 13–18 mm long. FL (Feb–)Apr.