Leaves glabrous, ascending at first but usually spreading when mature and finally recurved, to 6(-10) cm by 4-7(-10) mm; veins several, close to one another. Peduncles 1 or more, 6-65 cm high, glabrous, rigid, with 1-6 narrow-lanceolate, sterile bracts to 2 cm long; fertile bracts 4-20, lanceolate, 5-10 mm long; bracteoles similar to bracts but shorter. Pedicels 0-5 mm long in flower, sometimes over 1 cm in fruit, usually expanding gradually to the ovary. Perianth segments white, pink, yellow or brownish, glabrous, shortly connate, arising near the middle of the ovary, oblong, obtuse, 2.5-3.5 by c. 0.5-0.75 mm. Anthers yellow to red, 0.5-1 mm long; filaments arising c. ½ mm from base of perianth, the base conspicuously decurrent, 1.5-2 mm long. Ovary 3-lobed, 2-2.5 mm long, ellipsoid or obovoid; style 1-1.5 mm, simple or minutely 3-lobed, caducous. Capsule ellipsoid or ovoid, to 7 mm long.
Elfin and mossy forest, but mostly in the open mountain heath, both on stony ground and in boggy places, between moss-cushions, 2000-3450 m. Fl. (Jan.-)March-Sept.(-Dec.).In West Sumatra Docters van Leeuwen l.c. observed that the flowers are proterogynous and self-pollination is the rule, all flowers setting fruit.
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