Stems yellow, thin, ca. 1 mm in diam. Inflorescences lateral, compact cymose glomerules, few to many flowered, subsessile; bracts and bracteoles scalelike. Pedicel ca. 1 mm. Calyx cupular; sepals triangular, ca. 1.5 mm, apex obtuse, partly thickened. Corolla white, urceolate, ca. 3 mm; lobes persistent triangular-ovate, apex acute or obtuse, reflexed. Stamens inserted at throat; scales oblong, reaching stamens, long fimbriate. Ovary subglobose. Styles 2, equal or unequal in length; stigma globose. Capsule enclosed by withered corolla, globose, ca. 3 mm in diam., circumscissile. Seeds 2-4, pale brown, ovoid, ca. 1 mm, scabrous. 2n = 28, 56.
Fields, open mountain slopes, thickets, sandy beaches, often on plants of Fabaceae, Asteraceae, and Zygophyllaceae; 200-3000 m. Widespread in China [Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Mongolia, Russia, Sri Lanka; Africa, SW Asia, Australia].
