Low much-branched subshrub with stout, ± woody, prostrate to decumbent rooting stems up to c. 25 cm. long; branches prostrate or ascending, up to 15 cm. long, bifariously or uniformly pubescent. Lvs us. close-set and ± imbricate, often rather stiffly erect or recurved on prostrate branches, thick and coriac.; lamina 4-12 × 3-8 mm., narrow-ovate to suborbicular, deeply crenate to shallowly serrate, glab. or sparsely glandular-hairy or white-pubescent, subsessile or on stout petiole up to 3 mm. long. Racemes 4-8-(12)-fld, densely glandular-hairy or more sparsely white-pubescent in all parts; peduncles stout, (2)-3-6 cm. long; bracts narrow-ovate, c. 3 mm. long, ciliolate; pedicels c. 1 cm. long. Calyx-lobes 2-3 mm. long, ovate-oblong, subacute, ciliolate. Corolla lavender to white, up to c. 1 cm. diam.; tube 1-1·5 mm. long, much < calyx; lobes 4, unequal, spreading, ovate-oblong, obtuse. Capsule c. 4-6 × 3-5 mm., much > calyx, broad-oblong, truncate to emarginate at apex, us. turgid, glab.

2n = 84

2n = 42

2n = 42

n = 21

Low subshrub or loose cushion or mat-forming subshrub, (1–)3–10(–20) cm tall. Old stems brown or red-brown or grey. Branches prostrate to ascending. Branchlets brown or red-brown or green or purplish. Vegetative internodes (2–)4– 15(–20) mm long. Stem pubescence bifarious or uniform, eglandular pubescent and glandular pubescent (rarely). Leaves subdistichous to decussate, erecto-patent to reflexed. Lamina lanceolate or oblanceolate or ovate or obovate or oblong or elliptic or orbicular or rhomboid, (3–)4–10(–14) × (2.5–) 4–8(–10) mm. Adaxial surface of leaves green or bronze green or dark green, dull. Abaxial surface of leaves pale green, dull. Leaf hairs sparse to numerous or absent, along margins or on adaxial surface or on all parts of leaf, uniseriate eglandular or uniseriate glandular with globular head (Volcanic Plateau only). Apex subacute to obtuse or rounded. Base cuneate. Margin glabrous or ciliate or glandular- ciliate or pubescent, crenate to serrate (bluntly). Marginal teeth or lobes in (1–)2–3(–4) pairs. Petiole 1–3 mm long. Inflorescence racemose, unbranched, (3–)5–11 cm long at fruiting, with (3–)5–10(–15) flowers. Indumentum of peduncle, rachis, and pedicels moderately dense to very dense. Eglandular hairs of inflorescence antrorse (not to be confused with patent glandular hairs that have lost their heads in old dried specimens), white. Peduncle 1.5–5(–6) cm long, eglandular-pubescent or glandular-pubescent (sometimes mixed); hairs all around peduncle. Rachis (1–)3–7 cm long, eglandular-pubescent or glandular-pubescent (sometimes mixed), hairs all around rachis. Bracts alternate (spiralled), obtuse to acute, eglandular-hairy adaxially or ciliate with both glandular and eglandular hairs or glandular pubescent abaxially or glandular pubescent adaxially (often only near margins on adaxial surface), lanceolate to elliptic or narrowly deltoid. Bract margins entire. Pedicels erecto-patent at anthesis, straight at fruiting or incurved at fruiting, (3–)6–15(–18) mm long, eglandular-pubescent to glandular-pubescent; hairs all around pedicel. Flowers: Calyx 4-lobed, 2–3 mm long. Calyx lobes elliptic to ovate, subacute to obtuse. Calyx hairs on margins only or on both abaxial and adaxial surfaces, eglandular or glandular or mixed eglandular and glandular. Calyx lobe margins entire. Corolla pink at anthesis or violet at anthesis or mauve at anthesis. Nectar guides evident, present on posterior and lateral corolla lobes or present on all corolla lobes. Colour ring and nectar guides magenta. Corolla throat yellow. Corolla 6–15 mm diam. Corolla tube 1–1.5 mm long, 1–1.5 mm wide, hairy inside, hairs short. Corolla lobes glabrous. Posterior corolla lobe circular or elliptic or rhomboid, usually obtuse or emarginate (rarely), 5–7 × 4.6–6 mm. Lateral corolla lobes elliptic (sometimes very broadly), obtuse, longitudinally folded around stamens, 4.5–6.5 × 4.5–8 mm. Anterior corolla lobe elliptic or oblong or rhomboid, obtuse, 4–6 × 2– 4 mm. Stamen filaments white or coloured, 4–6 mm long, narrowed at base. Anthers pink or magenta or violet, 1–1.2 mm long. Nectarial disc ciliolate. Ovary ovoid or globose or ellipsoid, obtuse or emarginate, glabrous or puberulent (sparsely), 1–1.5 mm long. Style 4–5.5 mm long. Stigma 0.2–0.35 mm wide. Capsules xerochastic, broadly angustiseptate (i.e., weakly flattened), truncate to emarginate, 3–6 × 3– 5 mm, 2–3 mm thick, glabrous. Septicidal split of capsule extending to base. Loculicidal split of capsule extending 1⁄2 way to base. Seeds approx. 20–30 per locule, strongly flattened, smooth-surfaced, ellipsoid or obovoid or discoid, pale brown or dark brown or brown, 1–3 × 0.6–1.3 mm.