Saxifraga crassifolia Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 401. 1753; Bergenia bifolia Moench, nom. illeg. (included S. crassifolia); B. cordifolia (Haworth) Sternberg; B. coreana Nakai; B. crassifolia var. cordifolia (Haworth) A. Borissova; S. cordifolia Haworth; S. crassifolia var. elliptica Ledebour; S. crassifolia var. obovata Seringe.

Herbs perennial, 15-30 cm tall. Rhizomes thick, scaly. Leaves all basal; petiole 3-9 cm, sheathing base glabrous at margin; leaf blade narrowly to broadly obovate or elliptic, 5-12.5 × 3.5-9.5 cm, leathery, both surfaces glabrous and ± glandular pitted, base usually cuneate, rarely rounded, margin sinuate-dentate, apex obtuse. Inflorescence cymose, 3.5-13 cm, many flowered; branches and pedicels subsessile glandular. Hypanthium subsessile glandular. Sepals erect, obovate to broadly triangular-obovate, 3-4 × 2-4 mm, leathery, abaxially subsessile glandular, veins many, margin glabrous, apex obtuse or retuse. Petals purple, elliptic to broadly ovate, 7-8 × 4.6-5 mm, veins many, base narrowed into a claw ca. 1 mm, apex retuse. Stamens ca. 4.5 mm. Ovary ovoid, ca. 2.5 mm; styles 2, ca. 2.5 mm. Fl. May-Sep. 2n = 34.

Forests, rock crevices on shaded slopes; 1100-1800 m. Xinjiang [N Korea, N Mongolia, Russia].