Plants annual. Taproots filiform to somewhat thickened. Stems erect to widely spreading, green or purple, 4-30 cm, stipitate-glandular distally, internodes of all stems 1-5 times as long as leaves. Leaves sometimes overlapping proximally, ± evenly spaced, connate proximally, with loose, scarious sheath 0.3-0.7 mm; blade straight to variously curved or coiled, green or purple, concave, 1-3 veined, linear, 5-40 × 0.2-0.4 mm, flexuous, margins not thickened, often scarious, sometimes ciliate or stipitate-glandular, apex green to purple, acute, navicular, dull, glabrous to stipitate-glandular; axillary leaves present proximally. Inflorescences 7-15+-flowered, open cymes; bracts subulate, scarious. Pedicels 0.2-4 cm, stipitate-glandular. Flowers: hypanthium disc-shaped; sepals 1(-3)-veined, midvein often more prominent than lateral veins, ± ovate (herbaceous portion lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate to narrowly ovate), 2.5-3.7 mm, not enlarging in fruit, apex often purple, obtuse to acute, not hooded, stipitate-glandular at least proximally; petals ovate, (1-)1.7-2.1 times as long as sepals, apex broadly rounded, entire or irregularly dentate. Capsules on stipe 0.3-0.5 mm, broadly ovoid, 4 mm, longer than sepals. Seeds reddish brown, winged, orbiculate with radicle not prolonged, compressed, 1.3-2 mm, tuberculate; tubercles low, elongate. Flowering spring-early summer. Sandy and rocky slopes in chaparral, oak or pine woodlands; 100-1800 m; Ariz., Calif., Oreg. The winglike margins on the seeds of Minuartia douglasii are unique among North American members of the genus; M. howellii and M. tenella, the other members of sect. Greniera (Gay) Mattfeld, do not share this feature.

Plants with petal apices usually emarginate rather than entire and obtuse and often shorter than in typical plants have been recognized by some as var. emarginata.

Plant: Annual, simple or often branched from base, 4-30 cm, green or stem purple, finely glandular-hairy at least above; taproot thread-like; stems erect to spreading Leaves: simple, opposite, 5-40 mm, generally 0.3 mm wide, ± thread-like, becoming curled, flexible, ± evenly spaced; axillary leaves 0 INFLORESCENCE: cyme, terminal or axillary; flowers 2-many, open to ± dense, or flower solitary; peduncles and pedicels 0.5-35+ mm Flowers: hypanthium short, obscure; sepals 5, ± free, 2.5-3.7 mm, obtuse to acute, margin not incurved, ribs generally 3; petals 1.7-2.1 X sepals; stamens arising from an obscure to prominent disk; styles 3, 0.3-2 mm Fruit: Fruit: capsule, narrowly ovoid to widely elliptic; teeth 3, ascending to recurved; Seed 1.3-2 mm; margin thin, wing-like, reddish brown Misc: Rocky and sandy slopes and flats in chaparral, oak, or pine woodlands, often on serpentine; 100-1800 m.