Annual herb, up to 15 cm, simple or branched, mainly near the base. Stems terete, especially near the base, minutely fluted, fairly densely squamu-late-hairy to subglabrous, internodes several times as long as the leaves. Leaves ovate or elliptic, upper ones often (ovate-)lanceolate, 6 by 3 to 4 by 1 mm, herbaceous, with squamulate hairs on the margin, otherwise glabrous, apex acute; 1-nerved. Flowers terminal and in the upper leaf-axils; as the leaves gradually become smaller and narrower higher up, and the internodes become longer, the upper part may assume the appearance of a lax raceme. Pedicel 6-7 mm (in fruit up to 1 cm) long, scabrous. Calyx widely conical, 2 mm high, about halfway connate, lobes lanceolate, acute, ciliate, especially towards the apex. Corolla subcampanulate, white, 3 mm long, inside with some bristles in the mouth, lobes rounded, 1 mm long. Filaments c. ⅔ mm; anthers basifixed, extrorse, ovate to elliptic, 0.5 mm long, with a minute apical appendix. Pistil 1.5 mm, ovary broad-cylindrical, 0.5 mm high, styles inserted far apart, connate in the upper 1/2-1/4 part, stigma truncate. Fruits globular-mitre-shaped, 1.5 mm ø, styles connected only by the stigma. Seeds elliptic, slightly flattened, minutely papillose.
On beach walls, in fields, in rocky localities, on limestone hills, on bare rocks, between grass and low scrub; from sea-level up to 925 m. Fl. fr. March-April (July).
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