Plants erect, to 6 dm. Leaves to 3 cm × 3 mm × 2 mm. Flowers: sepals green, often pinkish to reddish, ovate to elliptic-ovate, 6-8 mm; petals pale pink to purple, oval to obovate, 8-10 mm. Capsules ovoid-conic, 9-18 mm. Seeds brown, 2 mm.

Flowering and fruiting Aug-Sep. Desert scrub; 1300-1600 m; N.Mex., Tex.; n Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas).