Stems few, sparingly branched, from a hard woody stock, purplish to reddish, up to 25 cm. long, us. shorter, faintly bifariously pubescent, straggling. Lvs opp., except in floral region, sessile or on very short broad petioles, us. close-set. Lamina rather broad-elliptic to obovate, 15-25 × 6-12 mm., often tinged red, membr., glab.; margins remotely denticulate to subentire. Fls ± 10 mm. diam.; calyx ± 5 mm. long, lobes lanceolate; petals pinkish in bud, then white, ± 8 mm. long, obovate. Capsules (20)-30-(40) mm. long, pale brown to reddish, glab.; peduncles glab. 15-(25) mm. long. Seeds papillose.

2n = 36

Tufted herb, with graceful arcuate branches spreading from a central system of rhizomes, with leafy overwintering rosettes. Stems 4-30 cm tall, with lines of short erect hairs on the elevated ridges running down from margins of petioles. Lamina of lf elliptic, 12-30 × 5-15 mm. Floral tube 1-2 mm deep, glabrous or with a few short hairs. Petals white, 5-8 × 4-5.5 mm. Capsules glabrate, 2.5-5 cm long; fruiting pedicel 0.8-2 cm long.