Perennial herb, tufted, mat-forming, up to 6 cm tall. Stems decumbent, glabrous or hispidulous near tips, branched, their lower part becoming leafless, and lateral branches developing in axils below the flower. Leaves alternate or subopposite, scattered to densely imbricate, sessile, linear, 2.0-10.5 mm long, their upper part succulent, subulate; apex straight, hyaline, often red; base not clasping stem; glabrous or rarely hispid on both surfaces but margins ciliate below the middle. Inflorescence 1-flowered, terminal. Flowers sessile, actinomorphic, white or pale blue; bracts similar to vegetative leaves, but often distinguishable by one or two teeth near the middle, often subtending a rudimentary flower. Hypanthium linear, glabrous or hispidulous. Calyx 5-lobed; lobes triangular, their apex straight, glabrous or hispidulous on outer surface, 2-4 mm long, often red, along margins ciliate or very rarely also with one or two teeth, fused at base to form a short tube. Corolla campanulate; tube 2.0-4.3 mm long; lobes 5, ovate, hispid on the inside, 4-6 mm long. Stamens 5, free, inserted at base of corolla tube; filament base dilated, broadly triangular, ciliate, forming a dome over the epigynous disc, 3.0-4.4 mm long; anthers basifixed. Ovary inferior, 2-locular; ovules numerous, axile; epigynous disc conical and fleshy; style cylindrical, glandular, sparsely hairy, 2.7-5.1 mm long; stigma bifid. Fruit a unilocular membranous capsule, dehiscing by an apical plug. Seeds 2-10.
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