Primary root short-lived. Stem unbranched, short or up to 5 cm. long, clothed with cop. long fine hairs and giving off adventitious roots from amongst old lf-bases over most of its length. Lvs rosulate, of firm texture, punctate, us. ± erect, lamina linear to lanceolate, 1-3 cm. × 1-7 mm., narrowed gradually into petiole of sts almost equal length, tapering above to narrow obtuse tip; margin entire to strongly toothed; glab. or with many-celled hairs mostly on petiole, base of blade and lower margins, us. upper half of lf glab., undersurface glab.; midrib only obvious vein. Scapes very short to maximum length of c. 8 cm., thinly pilose below, closely invested with short hairs immediately below spike even at fruiting. Spike 1-(2)-fld. Bract broad, rarely narrowed above, sheathing whole floret, c. 1·5 mm. long, membr. with low indefinite keel, obtuse to subacute, glab.; sepals 2-2.5 mm. long, ± oblong, obtuse, keel low and narrow, glab. Corolla-tube ± ═ lobes; lobes 1·5-2 × 0.7 mm., narrowly triangular; anthers c. 1 mm. long, acute-tipped; ovules perhaps typically 8, in 2 tiers of 4, but sts more. Capsule 2-4 mm. long, rounded, seeds irregularly angular.

2n = 60

Primary root short-lived; adventitious roots numerous from amongst old lf bases. Stem simple, short or occasionally to 5 cm long, clothed with copious long fine hairs. Lvs radical, rosulate, subcoriaceous, somewhat punctate, subsessile or with petiole up to as long as lamina and sometimes broad and flat. Lamina (5)-10-30-(50) × 1-10-(17) mm, linear to lanceolate or elliptic, sometimes narrow-rhombic, glabrous or with multicellular hairs (mostly on petiole, base of blade and lower margins, sometimes in bands - usually upper 1/2 of blade glabrous), glabrous on undersurface; lateral veins 2, inconspicuous; margins entire to strongly dentate; base ± attenuate; apex obtuse or subacute. Scapes from very short to c. 9-(14) cm long, thinly to densely pilose below, closely invested with short hairs immediately below spike even at fruiting. Spike 1-2-(4)-flowered. Bracts 1.5-2 mm long, very broadly ovate, rarely narrowed above, sheathing whole floret, membranous with narrow and low indefinite keel, glabrous. Sepals 1.5-3 mm long, ± ovate-elliptic; keel glabrous, low and narrow. Corolla tube ± = lobes; lobes 1.3-2-(2.4) × 0.4-0.8 mm, narrowly triangular. Capsule 2-4 mm long, broad-ellipsoid to suborbicular; apex rounded. Seeds (4)-8-12, 0.7-1.5 mm long, irregular.