Plants annual, taprooted or roots fibrous. Stems 2 or more from each rosette, spreading to ascending, 1.5-10 cm. Leaves basal and cauline; basal in single, prostrate rosette; blade spatulate, 0.5-4(-5) cm. Inflorescences racemose or paniculate scorpioid clusters, open. Flowers pedicellate; sepals orbiculate, unequal, 2-3 mm, margins scarious; petals 2, white, 1 mm or less; stamen 1, opposite proximal sepal, anther yellow; style absent; stigmas 2; pedicel 1-3 mm. Capsules ovoid, 2-3 mm; valves 2. Seeds 5-11, black, orbicular, 0.5 mm, shiny. 2n = 44.

Flowering May-Aug. Gravelly soils; 1500-3800 m; Calif., Idaho, Nev., Oreg., Utah, Wyo.