Plants in flower 50–150 mm tall. Flowering stems up to 4 per plant, the largest 2.3 mm diam. at base, 0.8–1.3 mm diam. when dry; stem leaves 4–6 pairs, lowest pedicels from near base of flowering stem. Rosette leaves linear, (20–)36–78 mm long, 2.8–6.9 mm wide, green or tinted purple-black at base, V-shaped, recurved at the apex; margins minutely denticulate; petiole distinct, 1.1–1.8 mm wide at leaf base; apex rounded. Flowering stem leaves linear. Pedicels 6.5–19 mm long, 0.7–0.8 mm diam., 0.5–0.7 mm diam. when dry. Flowers 3–25 per plant, 13.5–15 mm long. Calyx 5.6–10.0 mm long, green or red-brown, sometimes purple-black on the margins; lobes 4.5–8.1 mm long, 1.3–1.6 mm wide at base, apices acute, plane or recurved, margins minutely denticulate, occasionally smooth, sinus hairs sparse. Corolla 9.4–14 mm long, veins colourless; tube 2.8–4.0 mm long; lobes 6.6–10.0 mm long, 4.5–5.4 mm wide, margins smooth, rarely with teeth at the lobe apices; hairs below sinus absent or sparse; nectary 1.2–1.4 mm from corolla base, with or without a pocket, pocket margins smooth. Filaments 5.4–7.6 mm long from corolla base, 0.4–0.7 mm wide. Anthers 1.6–2.2 mm long. Ovules 11–28 per ovary. Capsule 9.3–14.5 mm long.
[Reproduced from Glenny (2004, New Zealand J. Bot. 42: 361-530) with permission from The Royal Society of New Zealand.]