Plants arising from elongated, spreading tubers up to 7 cm long x 3 cm broad and 2 cm high. Stems numerous, tangled, 3-7 cm long x 2-4 mm broad, erect to spreading, almost always unbranched, young growth with red streaks and plaques on a bright green background but mature growth grey with raised black plaques; phyllopodia absent but leaf scars persisting with accompanying minute black stipules on previous year’s growth. Leaves appearing in winter and withering in spring, 3-7 in a spreading terminal rosette, elliptical, with a shallow median channel on the upper surface, dull green with red streaks and covered with glandular trichomes, 6-8 x 3-4 mm. Inflorescence with 1-2 dichasmia, occasionally single-flowered and with an erect peduncle up to 10 x 1.2 mm, terminal on previous year’s growth and covered with glandular trichomes. Flowers ca. 12 mm long, on pedicels 10 x 0.8-1.0 mm. Calyx segments ovate with an acuminate, acute apex, green streaked red to maroon-brown and covered with glandular trichomes, 2-2.5 x 1.5-1.8 mm. Corolla tube cylindrical, slightly expanded below lobes, light lime-green with pink-red vertical streaks and covered with transparent glandular trichomes, 11-12 x 4-4.5 mm, lobes spreading, slightly recurved, ovate-acute, white to light red with dark pink to red streaks and a white margin and with transparent trichomes covering under surface, 3 x 2.8 mm. Stamens up to 8 mm long, erect but slightly curving outwards in 2 whorls, light green, fused to corolla tube to about half way, lower third of stamens and area below fusion all densely hairy; anthers 1 mm long, rounded-oblong, yellow with red colouration at dehiscent line. Squamae 1.2-1.8 x 0.5-0.8 mm, cream yellow, narrowly ovate with an apical notch. Carpels tapering to slender, styles from a broad rounded base, about 10 mm long and 2.2 mm broad at the base.
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