Basal parts more distinctly woody, plant very robust; lamina ± 20 × 12 mm.; fls 20-30 mm. diam.; capsules dark purple ± 3-4 cm. long; peduncles ± 4 mm. long.

Stems several from stock, slender, dark purple, simple or sparingly branched, decumbent at base, then sprawling, ascending at tips, up to 30 cm. or more long; bifariously pubescent, sts evenly so. Lvs opp., floral alt., on slender petioles up to 3 mm. long. Lamina oblong-lanceolate to oblong-ovate to elliptic, 15-20-(30) × 7-10 mm., membr., glab. or ± puberulous; margins distinctly to rather obscurely, remotely denticulate. Fls (6)-15-(20) mm. diam.; calyx ± 10 mm. long, cleft to halfway or more, linear-lanceolate to narrow-ovate, acute to acuminate; pink in bud becoming white, ± 15 mm. long, broad-obcordate. Capsules 20-30 mm. long or more; sparingly, evenly pubescent; peduncles very slender, 10-20 mm. long, sparsely pubescent. Seeds ridged, papillose.

"Leaves and floral characters exactly as the type, stems and leaves pale green in colour, nowhere dark red or reddish. Common on moist limestone in the gorge of the Ure River, Marlborough. The variety seeds freely in cultivation, and the seedlings are all as the parent plant."

2n = 36

Tufted herb. Stems 6-30 cm tall, usually purplish, rarely green, wiry, with broad lines of eglandular appressed or erect hairs running down below the petioles, hairy all round above. Lamina of lf ovate to broadly ovate, 10-40 × 6-20 mm. Floral tube 1.8-2.5 mm deep, ± glandular-hairy. Petals white or pink, 10-18 × 6-15 mm. Capsule usually with sparse glandular or erect eglandular hairs, rarely glabrous, 1.9-5.5 cm long; fruiting pedicel 0.7-1.5 cm long.