Caudex conical, ellipsoid-globose, or fusiform, 1.6--10 cm, to 1.6--2.8 cm in diam. Stem usually purplish, twining, branched, glabrous. Leaves long petiolate; petiole 4--10 cm, sparsely pubescent or nearly glabrous; leaf blade pentagonal or ovate-pentagonal, 6.5--12 × 8--13 cm, glabrous, base cordate or subtruncate, 3-parted; central lobe trapezoid-rhombic or ovate-rhombic; lateral lobes obliquely flabellate, unequally 2-lobed. Inflorescence terminal, 2--6(--12)-flowered; rachis and pedicels glabrous or appressed pubescent, or pedicels spreading pubescent; proximal bracts leaflike or broadly elliptic; distal bracts linear, smaller. Pedicels usually pendulous, 2.2--6 cm, with 2 bracteoles proximally or distally; bracteoles linear, 3--5 × ca. 0.5 mm, glabrous or pubescent. Sepals dark blue, abaxially glabrous or sparsely pubescent, or both surfaces pubescent; lower sepals 1.2--1.3 cm; lateral sepals suborbicular, 1.5--1.6 cm; upper sepal high galeate or cylindric-galeate, 2--2.4 cm high, clawed or indistinctly so, lower margin erect or slightly concave, 1.7--1.8 cm. Petals glabrous, or petaline lip and claw sparsely pubescent; limb ca. 1 cm × 4 mm; lip ca. 5 mm; spur incurved or circinate, 2--8 mm. Stamens glabrous; filaments 2-denticulate or entire. Carpels 5, glabrous or rarely ovary pubescent. Follicles erect, 1.2--1.5 mm; persistent style 2.5--5.5 mm. Seeds ca. 3 mm. Fl. Aug--Oct.

Forests, forest margins, scrub, mountains, grassy slopes; 1700--3500 m. W Anhui, NW Guizhou, W Henan, Hubei, N Hunan, N Jiangxi, S Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xizang, NW and W Yunnan, NW Zhejiang [Myanmar].