Plants 30--80 cm tall, pubescent. Stems branched, sulcate. Basal leaves withered at anthesis. Cauline leaves shortly petiolate; stipules semiorbicular, margin fimbriate; petiole 3.5--6.5 cm, pubescent; leaf blade 3-ternate, 12--18 cm; petiolule 3.5--6.5 mm; leaflet blade orbicular or rhomboid, 2--3 × 2--3 cm, papery, base rounded, broadly cuneate, or subcordate, abaxially pubescent; lobes 3, margin obtusely toothed, apex acute; veins raised abaxially. Inflorescence paniculate, 12--15 cm, many flowered. Bracts subulate-linear, pubescent. Pedicel 3--4 mm. Sepals 5, early deciduous, purplish tinged, elliptic-obovate, ca. 2.5 × 1.5 mm, abaxially pubescent. Stamens many; filament oblanceolate-linear, slightly narrower than anther; anther 1--1.2 mm, apex obtuse. Carpels 8--16; style circinate. Achenes sessile; body fusiform, ca. 4 mm; veins ca. 6. Fl. Jun.

This species is similar to Thalictrum javanicum, but differs in being pubescent; it is also similar to T. uncinulatum, which differs in having leaflets long and narrow and achenes shortly stipitate.

* Montane forest margins; 900--2300 m. Gansu, Shaanxi, Yunnan.