Plants perennial, clumped and taprooted, or mat-forming and long-creeping rhizomatous. Stems: flowering shoots often decumbent proximally, 5-20(-30) cm, glandular-pubescent distally, pilose-subglabrous, deflexed or spreading proximally; non-flowering shoots present; small tufts of leaves present in axils of proximal leaves. Leaves not marcescent, sessile, ± spatulate proximally; blade linear-lanceolate to lanceolate or narrowly oblong, 4-30 × 0.5-6 mm, apex acute, rarely obtuse, subglabrous to softly pubescent, sometimes glandular. Inflorescences lax, 1-20-flowered cymes, pubescence short, glandular; bracts lanceolate, margins narrow, scarious, glandular-pubescent. Pedicels curved just below calyx, 5-30 mm, 1-6 times as long as sepals, glandular-pubescent. Flowers: sepals narrowly lanceolate to lance-elliptic, 3.5-7 mm, margins narrow, softly pubescent; petals obovate, 7.5-12.5 mm, ca. 2 times as long as sepals, apex 2-fid; stamens 10; anthers 0.8-1.1 mm; styles 5. Capsules cylindric, curved, 7.5-11.5 × 2.5-4 mm, (1-)1.5-2 times as long as sepals; teeth 10, erect, margins convolute. Seeds brown, 0.6-1.2 mm diam., tuberculate; testa not inflated. 2n = 36, 72, (108, Europe).

Plant: Perennial, generally not flowering first year, 8-45 cm, glandular-hairy above, ± with long hairs below; stems both vegetative (mat-forming) and flower (± erect) Leaves: simple, opposite, those on flower stem generally 8-45 mm, linear or lanceolate, ± widely so, sometimes ± glabrous; leaf clusters in axils (especially lower) INFLORESCENCE: cyme, bracts generally scarious in upper 1/4; pedicels in fruit 1-4 X sepals Flowers: calyx 4.2-9 mm, glandular-hairy, rarely with long hairs > tip, scarious, sepals 5, 3.5-12 mm, free, lanceolate to ovate, margin of outer sepals < 0.2 mm wide; petals 3-6 mm > sepals, ± 2-lobed; stamens (5)10; styles 5, 0.5-3.3 mm Fruit: capsule, 9-16 mm, cylindric, ± curved in upper 1/2; teeth 10, spreading to recurved; Seed 1-1.3 mm, several-many, pale brown to reddish brown Misc: Moist seeps, shaded areas, grassy, generally rocky or sandy slopes; < 2500 m.