Herbs, annual or short-lived perennial, 10–40 cm, scabrous or puberulent at base, otherwise glabrous. Stems spreading to suberect, branched at base. Leaves opposite near base or alternate throughout, divergent to widely ascending; stipular glands present; blade linear to narrowly linear-lanceolate, 10–30 × 1–3 mm, margins entire, ciliate, apex apiculate. Inflorescences panicles; bracts with irregular scarious margins. Pedicels 3–8 mm, stout. Flowers: sepals deciduous, inner sepals somewhat shorter than outer, regularly and delicately glandular-toothed, outer sepals ovate or obovate, 6–8 mm, margins widely scarious, undulate or crenate, with sessile gland near apex of each crenation, apex conspicuously aristate; petals yellow, grading to reddish near base, obovate, 9–18 mm; stamens 5–8 mm; anthers 1–2 mm; with or without staminodia; styles connate nearly to apex, 5–10 mm; stigmas capitate. Capsules ovoid, 3.5–4.5 × 3–3.8 mm, apex obtuse, dehiscing into 5, 2-seeded segments, segments persistent on plant, false septa incomplete, united more than halfway, proximal part membranaceous with basal, 5-sided cartilaginous plates, distal part cartilaginous, constituting more than 1/2 of false septum, margins not ciliate. Seeds 2.3–2.8 × 1–1.3 mm. 2n = 30
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