Stock hard, woody, emitting several to many erect stems up to 35 cm. long, simple or sparingly branched, almost black, pubescent on angles; branchlets slender, wiry; lines of pubescence 2-4. Lvs opp., floral alt., approximate, sessile or very shortly petioled. Lamina lanceolate to linear-oblong, often apiculate, (6)-10-12-(18) × ± 3-4 mm., coriac., glab., us. stained dark red; margins rather deeply, coarsely toothed. Fls ± 5 mm. diam.; calyx deeply cleft; lobes ± 4 mm., narrow-ovate, acute to acuminate; petals white to pink, ± 5 mm. long, bifid. Capsules glab., slender, purplish to almost black, 10-25 mm. long; peduncles ± 5 mm. long. Seeds papillose.

The common var., as described above, often occurring in extensive populations.

Stems and lvs grass-green; capsules pale except on angles.

n = 18

2n = 36

n = 18

Crisp herb, branched at the base and sometimes also above, 10-30 cm tall, from a stout taproot. Stems usually purplish black, sometimes green, with dense strigillose hairs in lines. Lamina of lf narrow-elliptic to elliptic, 3-12-(20) × 1-4-(6) mm. Floral tube 0.2-0.6 mm deep, glabrous. Petals white, flushed pink after pollination, 5-6.5 × 2.3-3 mm. Capsules glabrous, 1.8-3.8 cm long; fruiting pedicel 0-0.9 cm long.