Erect perennial herb, forming leafy basal soboles or loose rosettes; stems 10-105 cm tall, well-branched above, glabrescent, with raised lines decurrent from the margins of the petioles, the lines glabrous to sparsely strigillose on larger stems, stem generally strigillose on inflorescence. Leaves narrow lanceolate, 2-8 x 0.5-1.8 cm, glabrous except for strigillose hairs on margins and midvein, dense sharp serrulate, subcoriaceous, acute apex, attenuate to distinct petiole 2-7 mm long. Inflorescence erect. Flowers erect; ovaries dense strigillose or canescent, sometimes with a few glandular hairs, 2-3.5 cm long, on pedicels 0.5-1.1 cm long. Sepals 4-6 x 1.5-2 mm, dense strigillose, sometimes with admixture of glandular hairs. Petals 5.5-9 x 3.5-4.2 mm, purplish rose to pink, rarely white. Style 3-4.2 mm long. Stigma subcapitate to clavate, surrounded by anthers before anthesis. Capsules 4-7.5 cm long, on pedicels 0.2-0.8 cm long. Seeds 0.7-1.1 x 0.38-0.42 mm, narrow obovoid, papillose, with very inconspicuous chalazal collar; coma 4-5 mm, dull white, easily detaching.