Herbs, perennial, 5--30 cm tall. Taproot dark brown, thick; bark broken and peeling off, exposing inner brown fibers. Caudex woody, thickened, divergent stems many from 1 crown, densely covered by white membranous scales and persistent petiole bases. Leaves small, basal, persistent to anthesis; petiole slender; leaf blade spatulate, oblong-spatulate, or linear-lanceolate, 5--15 X 1--3.5 mm including petiole, base attenuate, apex rounded to obtuse. Inflorescences usually numerous, arising from different leaf rosettes, corymbose, main axis slender; rachis 4--7 X dichotomously branched, flexuous, with most branches sterile; spikes terminal on some branches, with (1 or)2--4 spikelets; spikelets 2-or 3(or 4)-flowered; bracts broadly ovate, 1.5--3 mm; first bractlet 6--7 mm, densely hirsute when young, glabrescent. Calyx funnelform, 8--9 mm; tube 1--1.3 mm in diam.; limb pale purple, becoming white when dry; lobes apically obtuse to acute. Corolla pale purple. Fl. May-Jul, fr. Jul-Aug(-Sep).
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