Small, cushion-forming plants 512 cm Ø, the main root branching, woody and thick, descending straight into the soil, but a number of fibrous roots placed proximally in horizontal position; leaves trigonous, greyish-green, low teeth on margins and keel, and on the convex sides, hence the epithet scabrous = rough, to 5 mm long, to 4 mm broad and thick; flowers solitary, bracteoles touching the base of the calyx, petals purplish-pink; fruit top raised, but the valve rims low, base funnel-to bell-shaped, covering membranes raised high in the centre, distally with closing ledges of enormous dimensions: protruding distinctly and very broad, almost reaching the expanding keels at their bases, closing body hood-shaped, expanding keels short, no awns and no valve wings; seeds brown.
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