Herbs. Stems erect, green, usually divaricately branched, rarely simple, ± wiry, (2-)6-20(-25) cm, glabrous. Leaves uniformly dis-tributed, articulated to ocreae, basal leaves often caducous, distal leaves abruptly reduced to bracts; ocrea 4-8 mm, glabrous, prox-imal part cylindric, distal part silvery, with inconspicuous veins, lacerate; petiole absent; blade 3-veined, lateral veins sometimes inconspicuous, without pleats, narrowly linear, 10-40 × 1-2.5 mm, margins ± revolute, smooth, apex acute or mucronate. Inflorescences axillary and terminal, spikelike, subglobose to cylindric; cymes in most axils or crowded distally, 1-3-flowered. Pedicels enclosed in ocreae, erect, 0.1-2 mm, sometimes absent. Flowers mostly closed; perianth 1.5-3 mm; tube 19-40% of perianth length; tepals overlapping, uniformly white, pink, or red, petaloid, oblong-lanceolate, ± navicular, apex acute to acuminate; midveins usually unbranched or with 2 lateral branches proximally, moderately to strongly thickened, tepals appearing ± keeled; stamens 3-8. Achenes enclosed in perianth, light yellow, light brown, or greenish brown to dark brown, ovate to lanceolate, 1.3-2.5 mm, faces subequal, shiny or dull, smooth or reticulate with longitudinal ridges.
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