Plants annual or perennial, tufted, glabrous or glandular-pubescent. Stems spreading to decumbent or procumbent, much-branched, stout, rarely filiform, distal portion glandular-pubescent. Leaves: axillary fascicles absent; basal rosette or tuft of ascending leaves usually present; basal blades linear, 10-30 mm, succulent, apex apiculate, glabrous; cauline leaves conspicuously connate basally, forming shallow, scarious cup, blade linear, fleshy, apex apiculate, glabrous; proximal blades 6-15(-20) mm, distal blades rarely subulate, (2.5-)3.5-7(-9) mm. Pedicels slender to stout, glabrous or glandular-pubescent distally. Flowers axillary, 5-merous; calyx bases glabrous or glandular-pubescent; sepals ovate to orbiculate, (2-)2.5-3.5 mm, hyaline margins whitish, occasionally purple tinged on margins or apex, apex obtuse to rounded, glabrous or glandular-pubescent, remaining appressed following capsule dehiscence; petals elliptic to nearly orbiculate, (1.5-)2-2.5(-3) mm, shorter than sepals; stamens 10. Capsules (3-)3.5-4.5 mm, exceeding sepals, dehiscing ca. 1/4 length. Seeds reddish brown, reniform with abaxial groove absent, plump, 0.5 mm, smooth or slightly pebbled.

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora): w North America, e Asia.