Wiry dwarf shrub 7– 40 cm high (rarely to 1 m, and twice reported to 1.8 m, in sheltered situations at lower altitudes), much branched, erect or spreading, with short densely leafy side branches 0.5– 5 cm long and long terminal flowering shoots; stem brown to red; branchlets minutely pubescent with simple hairs, intermixed with sparse dendritic hairs 0.3– 1.2 mm long, sometimes intermixed with dense glandular hairs 0.1– 1.2 mm long which may or may not have minute side-branches near their base.. Leaves in whorls of 3(– 4), rarely with spirally inserted leaves, porrect or spreading (less often, in moister situations), fleshy, narrowly elliptic or lanceolate, 0.9– 6 mm long, 0.3– 1.3 mm wide, sulcate beneath, acute, indument variable from sparse to dense, and variable from glandular hairs only to a mixed pubescence of simple and branched hairs, or ciliate with only marginal hairs or stalked glands, or glabrous with only a branched apical hair to 0.6 mm; petiole 0.1– 0.4 mm long, usually puberulous.. Flowers on small side branches, forming apparent verticillasters 1– 15 cm long, also some solitary and axillary to distant leaves; pedicel 0.2– 1.7 mm long, puberulous or less often glabrous bract leaf-like, 0.6– 1.6 mm long; bracteoles reduced or missing.. Sepals 4, green or reddish, ± equal, narrowly ovate or linear, 0.5– 2 mm long, 0.2– 0.5 mm wide, apex acute, gibbous, ciliate with simple and branched hairs or stalked glands.. Corolla pink, less often whitish or violet, 4-merous, infundibuliform or shallowly cup-shaped, 0.8– 4.5 mm long, diameter at the mouth 0.6– 1.5 mm, the lobes 0.3– 0.7 mm long, rounded to subacute.. Stamens dark purple, 4(– 5), with filaments 0.2– 3.5 mm long; anthers partly exserted, 0.2– 0.7 mm long, with basal tails 0.1– 0.5 mm long or absent.. Ovary globose or slightly 4-lobed, puberulous; style red, 0.1– 5 mm long, stigma red, capitate, 0.1– 0.3 mm in diameter.. Fruit globose, ± 1 mm, puberulous, first widening, then splitting the lower part of the corolla tube.. Fig. 4.
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