Plants annual, with slender tap-root. Stems erect, branched from base, branches ascending (fas-tigiate), 10-50 cm, pubescent with stiff, gland-tipped, patent or slightly reflexed hairs with broadened base, pubescence shorter than diam. of stem, soft wooly hairs absent; small axillary tufts of leaves absent. Leaves sessile; distal and mid-stem blades linear-lanceolate, 20-70 × 1.5-6 mm, apex acute to acuminate; proximal leaves shortly connate basally, blade narrowly oblanceolate, tending to be spatulate, pubescence short, stiff, patent, glandular. Inflorescences very lax, making up at least 1/ 2 height of plant, 3-45-flowered cymes; bracts, linear-lanceolate, 2-22 mm, herbaceous, glandular-pubescent. Pedicels erect to spreading, bent distally, slender, 5-20 mm, 1-5 times as long as sepals, usually longer than capsules, glandular-pubescent. Flowers: sepals narrowly lanceolate, 4-5 mm, margins narrow (narrower than herbaceous center), apex sharply acute to acuminate, glandular-hispid, hairs shorter than sepal tips; petals oblanceolate, 4-5 mm, ± equaling sepals, apex 2-fid; stamens 10; styles 5. Capsules cylindric, curved, (5-)7-10(-11) mm, ca. 2 times as long as sepals; teeth 10, erect to slightly spreading, margins convolute. Seeds golden brown, 0.5-0.8 mm diam., coarsely tuberculate. 2n = 36.
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