Herbs perennial, forming dense mats. Leaf rosettes borne on branched short caudicules, with dense remains of old leaves at base. Leaves indistinctly dimorphic, sessile. Outer leaves linear-lanceolate, 4--7 X 0.4--0.8 mm, long ciliate. Inner leaves linear to linear-lanceolate, 10--25 X 1--1.8 mm, glabrous or minutely strigillose on conspicuously raised midvein abaxially, base slightly narrowed, margin cartilaginous and semi-transparent, apex spinelike. Scapes 1--3 cm, with dense long whitish tangled hairs; umbels subcapitate, 5--15-flowered; bracts leaflike, ovate to broadly lanceolate, ca. 2.5--6 X 1--2.5 mm, sparsely ciliate proximally, margin cartilaginous, apex acute. Pedicel to 3 mm, villous. Calyx 2.5--3 mm, densely hirtellous-pubescent, parted to ± middle; lobes triangular, long ciliate, costate, apex acute to sometimes spinelike. Corolla purplish red, 4--5 mm in diam.; lobes broadly obovate, margin entire to obscurely undulate, apex rounded. Fl. Jun-Aug.
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