Perennials; caudex usually simple, sometimes branched, (thick, cespitose); (silvery) pubescent throughout, tri-chomes few-rayed, rays furcate, sometimes slightly fused at base, (umbonate, lightly tuberculate to nearly smooth). Stems several from base, erect or decumbent (arising laterally, unbranched), 0.5-1.5 mm. Basal leaves: (petiole slender); blade obovate to orbicular, 3-6 cm (width 10-20 mm), margins entire or dentate. Cauline leaves: blade spatulate, 1-2 cm (width 3-6 mm), margins entire, (apex often acute). Racemes congested. Fruiting pedicels (divaricate, slightly sigmoid), 8-15 mm. Flowers: sepals narrowly lanceolate, 5-8(-9) mm; petals narrowly oblanceolate, 9-12 mm, (claw undifferentiated from blade). Fruits (often purplish in age), didymous, subreniform, strongly inflated, 9-18 × 11-21(-30) mm, (papery, base obtuse to slightly cordate, apical sinus V-shaped or convex, open crests rounded); valves (2-keeled on side away from replum, each 3-sided, keels rounded, sides flat or slightly convex, retaining seeds after dehiscence), evenly and densely pubescent; replum oblong, as wide as or wider than fruits, apex obtuse; ovules 4-12 per ovary; style (4-)6-8 mm (exceeding sinus). Seeds flattened. 2n = 8, 10, 16, 24.
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