Clumped perennial herb 3-15 cm, the underground stems not scaly; plants mostly glabrous, with elevated, strigulose lines running down from the margins of the petioles and glabrous ridges running down from back of petioles. Leaves mostly opposite, alternate in the inflorescence, coriaceous, nerves obscure, broadly elliptic or ovate, obtuse at apex and base, entire, 0.3-1 by 0.2-0.7 cm; petiole 1-1.5 mm, short but distinct. Flowers nodding, the ovaries erect, borne in the axils of upper leaves. Floral tube 1.5-3 mm across and about as deep. Sepals 4.5-7 by 1-2.5 mm. Petals obovate, 7-14 by 3-6 mm, bright purplish rose, the notch c. 2 mm deep. Anthers 0.8-1.2 mm long; filaments of the longer stamens 4-5.5 mm, those of the shorter 3.3-4.5 mm. Style 5.5-8 mm. Stigma broadly clavate, 1.3-1.7 mm high, c. 1 mm thick, surrounded by or held just above the anthers at anthesis. Capsule erect, subglabrous, 4-5 cm long, on a pedicel 2.5-8.5 cm. Seeds (0.9-)l-1.5 by 0.5-0.7 mm, not beaked, finely papillose, pale brown, the coma c. 8 mm long. Gametic chromosome number, n = 18.
Subalpine and alpine grasslands and ridges, open slopes and bogs, earth screes, subalpine forest and its grassy edges, rock clefts, cliff crevices in alpine thickets, on dripping slate landslides, more rarely on sandy or gravelly gully beds; 3000-4500 m. Fl. (Jan.-Febr.-)May-Sept. (-Dec)
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