Habit: erect, woody, small shrubs to 20 cm; not scandent in any developmental stage; short shoots present, sharp, almost spinescent; new shoots fairly densely hairy. Leaves: adult leaves mostly clustered, funnel shaped, stem clasping, eventually alternate, tiny, obovate, to 10 mm long, essentially sessile. Inflorescences solitary, irregular flowers with parts in fives, terminal on short shoots; flower stalks not nodding, but extending past leaves. Sepals 3 mm long, inky blue, acicular, margins softly hairy; petals to 10 mm long, connivent in the throat and then spreading, deep blue darkening with age to nearly purple, inner surface hairy. Stamens free, unequal heights; filaments eventually mauve, ribbony; almost frilled; anthers shorter than filaments, white becoming blue, oblong-sagittate; pollen blue. Pistil glabrous, stipitate, style similar length to cylindrical ovary; stigma minutely capitate. Fruits are loculicidally dehiscent, stipitate capsules; 7–8 mm long, 4 mm diam., initially blue, eventually brown, thin, glabrous; inner surface glossy olive green; seeds inserted into one row in each chamber, numerous, angular reniform, minutely pitted. Flowering in Spring.
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