Annual, erect, non-saprophytic herbs 3-30 cm. high; stem usually simple, rarely branched, bearing at the apex a capituliform inflorescence; at the base of the stem usually a few linear or linear-lanceolate, rosulate, subulate leaves up to 4 mm. long; stem leaves becoming smaller and more scale-like upwards, the uppermost ap-pressed, about 2 mm. long; inflorescence consisting of a contracted, bifid cyme appearing like a capitulum, 2-to many-flowered; bracts lanceolate, acuminate, about 2 mm. long; flowers wingless, erect, subsessile, mostly white, yellowish or pinkish, up to 4 mm. long; perianth lobes erect, outer lobes triangular with involute margin, acute, about 0.5 mm. long, inner ones linear or narrowly oblanceo-late, obtuse, almost as long as the outer, tube trigonous, about 1.5 mm. long; anthers subsessile in the upper perianth tube; connective broadly triangular, thick and fleshy, with short lateral arms bearing the thecae and two obtuse membranaceous crests at the upper sur-face; style thick-filiform, swollen at the base, branching at the top into 3 branches each bearing a curved, funnel-shaped stigma, the shaft about 1.5 mm. long; capsule obovoid, dehiscing transversely; seeds small, ellipsoid to oblong, acuminate, brownish yellow, about 0.3 mm. long.
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Stems 3–24(–33) cm. Leaves: basal leaves 0–3, ± same size as cauline leaves; cauline leaves subulate-lanceolate, 2–8 × 0.3–1.2 mm. Inflorescences 2–25-flowered cymes, usually appearing capitate (rarely less contracted), or occasionally flower solitary; cyme rachis usually absent, rarely to 6 mm; floral bracts subulate to lanceolate, 1.5–4 mm. Flowers 3-ribbed or slightly 3-winged, 2–6 mm; perianth cream-colored to white, sometimes tinged with blue or green; perianth tube (3-or) 6-lobed, to 0.8 mm wide; outer lobes usually incurved, triangular, 0.3–0.5 mm, margins involute; inner lobes absent or linear to elliptic, to 0.3 mm; pedicel 0–1 mm. Capsules 1.5–3 mm.
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