Plants annual, with slender taproot and branched caudex. Stems erect, sparingly branched proximally, slender, 15-35 cm, sparsely glandular-pilose; small axillary tufts of leaves absent. Leaves not marcescent; proximal blades broadly spatulate-petiolate, 8-55 × 3-16 mm, apex acute or obtuse, sometimes short-acuminate, softly pilose; cauline few, sessile, blade linear-lanceolate to narrowly ob-lanceolate, 7-30 mm, apex acute, pilose. Inflorescences very open and loose, 2-9(-25)-flowered cymes; bracts narrowly lanceolate, pilose. Pedicels straight, becoming sharply deflexed at base, slender, 5-20 mm, elongating in fruit, 1.5-4 times as long as sepals, glandular-pilose. Flowers: sepals green, turning pale orange-brown in fruit, lanceolate to ovate, 3-6 mm, margins narrow, apex acute, with short, glandular pubescence; petals oblanceolate, 5-8 mm, 1.5-2 times as long as sepals, apex 2-fid; stamens 5; styles 5. Capsules cylindric, straight, 5-12 mm, 1.5-2 times as long as sepals; teeth 10, becoming outwardly coiled. Seeds red-brown, 0.4-0.7 mm diam., tuberculate; tubercles ± pointed; testa not inflated. 2n = 36.
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