What does the cryptic crossword clue "Pastry is crumbling in a paltry state (8)" mean?

The wordplay uses an anagram. anagram of PASTRY + IS = SPARSITY The answer is SPARSITY.

Pastry is crumbling in a paltry state (8)

Daily Mail Cryptic #17038 | 4 Down | 2023-02-21 flower