Stock hard, woody, emitting several to many stout stems, woody at base, up to ± 4 mm. diam., up to 40 cm. long, reddish to dark purple, straggling; branchlets ± 10 cm. long, crowded, often almost black, stout, glab. Lvs crowded, opp. even in floral region, on slender petioles up to 15 mm. long. Lamina coriac., about elliptic-lanceolate to ovate-oblong, acute or subacute, glossy, ± reddish, (12)-20-(25) × 6-10 mm.; margins remotely denticulate, except towards base, sts almost entire. Fls almost or quite sessile, (6)-10 mm. diam.; calyx 3-5 mm. long, lobes lanceolate, acute to acuminate, reddish purple; petals white or pale rose, cleft to halfway or more, 6-9 mm. long. Capsules slender to rather stout, glab., (20)-25-30-(40) mm. long; peduncles rather stout to slender, 5-10 mm. long. Seeds smooth, minutely reticulate.

2n = 36

Slightly woody herb up to 40 cm tall, much-branched, forming clumps. Stems glabrous, or with few small strigillose hairs at junction of petiole margins. Lamina of lf narrowly-elliptic to elliptic, 1.3-2.6 × 0.4-0.8 cm. Floral tube 0.8-1.2 mm deep, glabrous. Petals white, flushed pink after pollination, 6.7-7.4 × 3.8-4.6 mm. Capsule glabrous, 2-3.8 cm long; fruiting pedicel 0.2-1 cm long.