Tufted perennial, 10-30 cm with a branched woody stock. Stems many, erect to ascending, swollen at the nodes, sparsely pubescent to glabrous, hairs minute. Eave 7-30 (-40) x 1-2 mm, linear, usually congested basally, reducing in size upwards, glabrous with a ± sparsely ciliate margin, apex acute, midrib thick. Flowers solitary, very rarely 2. Bracteoles 4-6, 6-8 mm, ovate to narrowly ovate, apiculate with a membranous margin. Calyx 11-12 (-15) mm, glabrous, contracted above, teeth lanceolate, acute or mucronate, with a ciliate margin. Petals c. 15 mm, white to rose pink, limb 3-4 mm, subentire to dentate at apex, ebarbulate.