Plants perennial, coarse, forming loose mats or clumps, ± rhizoma-tous. Stems erect to straggling, decumbent at base, sturdy, 10-50 cm, usually densely pubescent with hairs patent, yellowish, multicellular, glandular and eglandular, often subglabrous near base; nodes bearded with long, yellowish hairs; small axillary tufts of leaves usually absent. Leaves sessile, not marcescent; blade lanceolate, 7-50 × 3-15 mm, largest on mid and distal stem, apex usually acute, densely ciliate, hairs yellowish, multicellular, eglandular, of various lengths; proximal leaves with blade lanceolate to elliptic, oblanceolate, or oblong. Inflorescences lax, 2-10-flowered cymes, compact when young, branches elongating at maturity; proximal bracts foliaceous, herbaceous, pubescence as in leaves; distal bracts lanceolate, 5-10 mm, often with scarious tip, ciliate with long, fuscous hairs. Pedicels erect or becoming deflexed at base and curved at apex, 5-30(-60) mm, elongating in fruit, ca. 6 times as long as sepals, densely fuscous-pubescent with glandular and eglandular, patent hairs. Flowers: sepals narrowly lanceolate with round base, 6-10 mm, margins narrow, apex acute, strigose-ciliate, hairs long, fuscous; petals conspicuous, 10-14 mm, 1.5-2 times as long as sepals, apex deeply 2-fid; stamens 10; styles 5. Capsules slightly conic or cylindric, straight, 10-22 mm, ca. 2 times as long as sepals; teeth 10, erect, margins convolute. Seeds reddish brown, 1-1.5 mm diam., strongly papillate; testa not inflated, tightly enclosing seed. 2n = 66, 72.
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