Herbs biennial or short-lived perennial, (2-)4-18(-20) cm tall, scapose. Stems few to several from base, erect to subdecumbent, simple, sparsely pubescent proximally with simple or forked trichomes, glabrous along distal half. Basal leaves rosulate, subsessile; leaf blade oblong-obovate to subspatulate, 0.4-2 cm × 1.5-5 mm, abaxially densely subhirsute with long-stalked, forked or 3- or 4-rayed stellate trichomes with simple rays, sometimes with a few simple trichomes, adaxially with similar indumentum or with predominantly simple trichomes, base cuneate, margin entire, ciliate with simple trichomes to 1.3 mm, apex subobtuse. Cauline leaves absent, very rarely 1 at stem base. Racemes 4-16-flowered, ebracteate, elongated considerably in fruit; rachis sometimes slightly flexuous. Fruiting pedicels 3-9 mm, divaricate-ascending, slightly curved upward or straight, stout, glabrous or rarely sparsely pubescent. Sepals oblong, 0.9-1.5 × 0.6-0.8 mm, erect, abaxially sparsely pubescent with simple or stalked, forked trichomes, base of lateral pair not saccate, margin not membranous. Petals yellow drying whitish, narrowly spatulate, (1.8-)2.2-3 × 0.6-0.9 mm, apex subemarginate. Filaments 1-1.4 mm; anthers ovate, ca. 0.2 mm. Ovules 16-26 per ovary. Fruit linear to narrowly elliptic, (5-)6-11(-12) × 1-2 mm, not inflated, latiseptate, not twisted, straight or slightly curved; valves glabrous or rarely puberulent, often with an obscure midvein, base and apex acute; style 0.1-0.2 mm. Seeds brown, oblong-ovate, 0.9-1.1 × 0.4-0.5 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun-Aug.

The description and illustration of Draba melanopus in Fl. Xinjiang. (2(2): 129, 131. 1995) are most likely based on misidentified plants of D. zangbeiensis.

Shady or moist rocky areas; 2200-3700 m. Xinjiang [Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan].