Herb, up to 5 cm diam., forming loose to compact small mats. Leaves up to 15 × 1.1 mm; lamina 1–3 mm long, elliptic to rhomboid; adaxial and abaxial surfaces green, slightly glossy; adaxial surface convex; abaxial surface concave; apex subacute; base attenuate to cuneate; petiole distinct; old leaves yellow. Involucral leaves 1.5–1.6 × 1.6–2.2 mm, green; lateral fold present; apex obtuse. Flowers 4.8–6.2 mm diam. Tepals 2.1–3.6 × 1.3–2.3 mm, obovate, white, overlapping; apex subacute, not notched; claw not differentiated. Nectary green. Filaments 1.6–2.4 mm long, > ½ tepal length, white. Anthers 0.3–0.4 × c. 0.2 mm, pink to pink-red. Ovary 0.6–0.8 × 0.8–0.9 mm, obovoid, green; sutures not prominent. Style 0.9–1.2 mm long; slightly bulbous at base, white with base flushed green. Stigmatic branches 0.9–1.0 mm long, white, straight prior to spreading. Capsule 1.5–1.7 × 1.0–1.4 mm. Seeds 1.0–1.4 × 0.9–1.2 mm, moderately to strongly rugose, black. FL Dec–Feb; FT Jan–Mar.

A N. calycina foliis brevioribus, viridibus, laminam ellipticam vel rhombeam habentibus, petiolo distincto, tepalis, ovario, stylo, filamentis seminibusque distincte brevioribus, habitatione non nisi in solis tenuibus et in marmore in humore per terras percolato distinguenda.