Caudex carrot-shaped or obconical, 1.5--3.8 cm. Stem twining, branched, glabrous. Middle cauline leaves shortly or long petiolate; petiole 1.5--6.5 cm; leaf blade ovate-pentagonal, 4--10 × 6.5--12 cm, papery, both surfaces glabrous, or adaxially sparsely appressed pubescent, 3-sect; central segment lanceolate or rhombic-lanceolate; lateral segments obliquely flabellate, unequally 2-parted. Inflorescence (1--)3--6-flowered; rachis and pedicels glabrous or sparsely retrorse pubescent, or spreading pubescent; bracts linear. Pedicels 1.8--3.5(--5) cm, with 2 bracteoles at middle; bracteoles linear-subulate, 3.5--6.5 mm. Sepals blue, abaxially sparsely or densely pubescent or nearly glabrous; lower sepals 1.1--1.3 cm; lateral sepals 1.3--1.8 cm; upper sepal high galeate, 2--2.5 cm high, 6--9 mm in diam. at middle, shortly beaked, lower margin 1.4--1.9 cm, slightly concave. Petals glabrous; lip ca. 8 mm, slightly concave; spur upward curved, 4--5 mm. Stamens glabrous; filaments entire. Carpels 3, glabrous, or ovary sparsely or densely pubescent. Fl. Sep--Oct.

After publication of the treatment for the FOC, this taxon was lectotypified by LUO Yan & YANG Qiner (Acta Phytotax. Sin. 43 (4): 348-352. 2005).

* Forests, scrub, mountains, by streams; 1000--3100 m. S Gansu, W Henan, Hubei, NW Hunan, SE Shaanxi, S Shanxi, Sichuan, W Zhejiang.