Herbs perennial. Roots branched at base, gray-brown, conic, robust, fleshy. Stems clustered, solitary or branched at base, often violet, slender, 10--20 cm, sparsely glandular pubescent. Proximal cauline leaves shortly petiolate, larger; distal cauline leaves sessile, smaller; leaf blade gray abaxially, ovate-lanceolate, ovate, elliptic, saccate, or orbicular, 0.5--1.5 cm × 2--10 mm, thick, ± papillate adaxially, ± villous, midvein raised, pale brown. Cymes 3--5-flowered; bracts lanceolate, small, herbaceous, margin membranous, apex excurved, acute. Pedicel slender, 1--2.5 cm, densely violet glandular pubescent. Sepals 5, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, 4--10 mm, glandular pubescent abaxially, margin membranous, apex acute or acuminate. Petals 5, white, obovate, slightly longer than sepals, apex ciliate. Stamens 10; anthers violet-black, yellow, or yellowish. Ovary ovoid; ovules numerous. Styles 2, linear. Capsule equaling persistent sepals, apex 4-lobed. Seeds 10, brown. Fl. and fr. Jul--Sep.
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