Herbs cespitose, (3-)8.5-33 cm tall. Stems simple, glabrous or brown pilose, sometimes also brown papillose. Basal leaf 1 or absent; petiole 7.3-8.7 cm, sparsely brown papillose and pilose; leaf blade reniform, 0.7-3 × 1.2-4.6 cm, margin 7-9-lobed, lobes broadly subovate, 2-8.5 × 3-6 mm, mainly not overlapping at margin. Cauline leaves alternate; petiole 3-5 cm, brown papillose and pilose at axil; leaf blade reniform, 2.3-5 × 3.2-6.5 cm, both surfaces glabrous, margin 11-15-lobed, lobes subelliptic to subovate, 0.6-1.5 cm × 6-11 mm, sometimes brown papillose and pilose at sinus, usually retuse and 1-verrucose at apex, rarely 3-crenate. Cyme 38-100 cm, remotely many flowered; bracteal leaves with petiole 0.8-1.5 cm, brown papillose and pilose at axil, leaf blade reniform, flabellate, or broadly ovate to orbicular, 0.3-3 × 0.4-4.3 cm, sometimes brown papillose and pilose at sinus, margin 3-12-lobed, lobes subovate to subelliptic, 2-13 × 2-11 mm. Flowers yellow, 4.2-4.6 mm in diam.; pedicel 0.3-1.1 cm, brown papillose and pilose. Sepals spreading, orbicular to broadly rhombic-ovate, 1.3-2.6 × 1.5-3 mm, margin usually entire, rarely irregularly dentate, apex obtuse. Stamens 8; filaments 0.3-0.5 mm. Ovary semi-inferior; styles ca. 0.4 mm. Disc 8-lobed. Capsule ca. 3 mm, apex subtruncate, retuse; carpels horizontal, subequal; rostrums ca. 0.4 mm. Seeds dark brown, shiny, ovoid, 0.7-1 mm, smooth, glabrous. Fl. and fr. May-Sep.

Forests, forest margins, alpine meadows, alpine rock clefts; 2500-4800 m. S Gansu, S Qinghai, S Shaanxi, N and W Sichuan, SE Xizang, N Yunnan [Bhutan, N India, N Myanmar, Nepal, Sikkim].