Herbs perennial. Stems ascending or procumbent, 3--10 cm tall, slender, branched, glabrous. Leaves linear, 2--10 × 1--2 mm, shortly aristate, glabrous or ciliate. Flower solitary, terminal or axillary. Pedicel recurved after anthesis, erect in fruit, slender. Sepals 4, broadly ovate, 1.5--2 mm, margin white, apex obtuse. Petals 4, ovate, shorter than sepals. Stamens 4 (rarely 8). Styles 4. Capsule ovoid, longer than sepals, 4-valved. Seeds black-brown, triangular, grooved, smooth. Fl. Jul--Aug, fr. Sep--Oct. 2n = 22.

Mire meadows, forest margins; ca. 4200 m. Xinjiang [Afghanistan, N India (Darjiling), Philippines, Russia, ?Sikkim; W Asia, Europe].