Stems 4-15 cm. Inflorescences 3-6-flowered. Flowers 0.9-1 mm, hairs mostly of 1 size, 5- 3 as long as sepals, tips of hairs ± straight; hypanthium glabrous or pubescent, tips of hairs ± straight; sepals in fruit ± equal; stamens usually 5; styles connate in proximal 1/ 3, 2-branched, shorter than 0.1 mm. Seeds 0.6-0.7 mm. 2n = 18, 36 (Europe).

Flowering spring-fall. Sandy flats, roadsides, woodlands; 200-1800 m; introduced; Calif., Md., Mass.; s Europe; sw Asia; n Africa.

Variety hirsuta is apparently much less common than var. cinerea in North America. A historical record exists from Pennsylvania (1915).