Perennial herb from stout woody stock; stems woody, rooting, giving off ∞ slender erect branches us. tightly compacted into dense, hoary, grey-green cushion 2-4 cm. high and up to 10 cm. or more diam., sts laxer and forming small patch; branches again much branched towards tips, 3-5 mm. diam. including lvs. Lvs closely irregularly imbricate, us. ± loosely spreading, linear-oblong to linear-spathulate, 2.5-4 × ± 1 mm., obtuse to subacute; margins and upper part of inner surface sparsely hispid with long, coarse, stiff, white hairs, outer surface sparsely hispid in upper part or glab. except for tuft at tip. Bracts 3-4 mm. long, linear, very similar to calyx-lobes. Calyx 3-4 mm. long, deeply divided into 5-(6) linear lobes 2.5-3·5 mm. long; lobes hispid on margins and outer surface especially towards tip. Corolla white, 5-6-(8) mm. long, salverform; tube ± ═ or much > calyx; lobes 5-6, 1·5-2.5 mm. long, broadly obovate-oblong, rounded to subacute. Capsule c. 2.5-3 mm. long, hairy at apex at least when young.

n = 21

2n = 42