Annual herb, erect, to 24 cm high. Stem foliose throughout, with 4 or rarely more narrow longitudinal wings or folds (sometimes obscure), glabrous. Leaves rigid, narrowly lanceolate to subulate, pungent, 3–16 mm long, 1–3.5 mm wide, glabrous below, pilose above in lower half; margin a smooth, slightly inflated rim of pale-coloured cells. Flowers solitary, terminal or axillary; pedicels to 105 mm long, sparsely retrorsely tomentose to densely white-tomentose in distal part. Calyx campanulate, glabrous; tube constricted at base, 1.1–2 mm long; lobes 2–3 mm long, attenuate. Corolla white, with yellow throat; tube 3.5–4 mm long; lobes 2.5–4 mm long. Stamens 2.4–3 mm long; anthers minutely apiculate; dehiscence extrorse. Capsule c. 2.5 mm long; horns connate along their length, flattened in plane at 90° to septum; fruiting style including horns 1.5–3 mm long.
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