This plant has grass like, pointed leaves and small, crimson flowers, 8 to 18 mm, either single or two together, borne on a long, slender stalk.

Leaves reduced to a single grass-like blade. 

Photo of the whole plant, showing leaves as well as flowers

Grassy places, banks and field margins on neutral or mildly acid soils.

Flowers May to July.

Annual.

Local in England and Wales, rare in Scotland.

Scarce in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the The Flora of Leicestershire (Primavesi & Evans) it was found in 2 of the 617 tetrads.

In the current cVC55 checklist (Jeeves 2011) it is listed as Native; scarce, but apparently increasing, probably through deliberate or accidental introductions.

It was on the 2011 VC55 Rare Plant Register (Jeeves, 2011) but is not on the current RPR (Hall & Woodward, 2022); it is listed as 'data deficient' because it is not clear whether records are of introduced/escaped plants or natives.