Plants tufted, 7--25 cm tall. Stems terete, striate. Basal leaf blade linear-lanceolate to linear, 4--12 cm × 2--4 mm, margin sparsely hairy. Cauline leaves 1--3; leaf blade 2--9 cm. Inflorescence terminal or occasionally axillary, a compound cyme, 10--30-flowered; basal bract 0.5--1.5 cm. Flowers solitary or in clusters of 2 or 3; pedicel short; bracteoles brown, broadly ovate, margin densely ciliate. Perianth segments lanceolate, 2--2.5 × 0.8--1 mm, subequal, apex acute. Stamens 6; anthers subequaling filaments. Style ca. 0.6 mm; stigmas ca. 1 mm. Capsule chestnut brown, trigonous ovoid, 2--2.5 mm. Seeds dark reddish brown, oblong, 1.2--1.4 mm; appendage basal, fibrous. Fl. Jun--Jul, fr. Jul--Aug. 2 n = 24, 36.