Stems more than 20 cm tall, to 80 cm at fruiting, simple or branched above middle. Basal leaves 2 or 3; petiole 7--20 cm, base narrowly sheathed; leaf blade dark green when dried, pentagonal, 2.6--5.5 × 4.8--11 cm, base deeply cordate, 3-parted; central lobe rhombic-ovate or rhombic, 3-fid, incised-lobulate or dentate at margin; lateral lobes obliquely flabellate, unequally 2-fid. Proximal cauline leaves similar to basal ones, distal cauline leaves subsessile, smaller. Flower solitary, terminal, or 2 or 3 flowers in a cyme, (3.2--)4--5.5 cm in diam. Pedicel ca. 4 cm, to 9.5 cm at fruiting. Sepals 5(--7), yellow, ± green when dried, broadly obovate or obovate, rarely broadly elliptic, 1.7--2.5(--3) × 1.2--2.5(--2.8) cm, apex rounded or truncate. Petals linear, shorter than stamens, 7--7.5(--17) × ca. 1 mm, slightly widened at apex, subspatulate. Stamens ca. 1 cm. Follicles 7--25, 0.9--1.1 cm × ca. 3 mm; persistent style erect, ca. 1 mm. Seeds narrowly ovoid, ca. 1.5 mm, smooth. Fl. Jun--Sep, fr. Sep--Oct.
* Grassy slopes, mountain slopes, wet places; 1900--3900 m. S Gansu, Sichuan, W Yunnan.
