Parnassia mairei H. Léveillé; P. nana W. Griffith; P. schmidtii Zenker; P. wightiana Wallich ex Wight & Arnott var. brachyloba Franchet; P. wightiana var. flavida Franchet; P. wightiana var. microblephara Franchet.

Stem 1, 12-40 cm, with 1 leaf proximally or near middle. Basal leaves 3 or 4(-7); petiole (3-)5-16 cm; leaf blade abaxially greenish, adaxially deep green or brown-green, reniform or suborbicular, 2-4 × 2.5-4.5 cm, 5-7(-9)-veined with veins prominent abaxially, base deeply cordate, apex rounded, apiculate, or obtusely apiculate. Cauline leaf sessile, semiamplexicaul, similar to basal ones but smaller, rarely larger, often with 2 or 3 caducous, rusty brown appendages at base. Flower 3-3.5 cm in diam.; hypanthium obconical. Sepals densely brown punctate, oblong, ovate, or obovate, 6-8 × 4-6 mm, 3-5(-7)-veined, margin entire, apex rounded-obtuse. Petals white, purple veined, densely purple-brown punctate, oblong- or spatulate-obovate, (1-)1.2-2.5 × 0.6-0.9 cm, 5-veined, base attenuate, margin sparsely and shortly fimbriate in proximal 1/3, apex rounded or acute. Anthers ellipsoid, connective projected at apex into a lanceolate appendage, to 5 mm; filaments 1-5.5 mm; staminodes flat, 3.5-4 mm, 3-lobed, lobes 1.5-1.8 mm. Ovary superior, depressed globose; style ca. 1.8 mm; stigma 3-lobed, lobes obovate. Capsule obovoid. Seeds brown, glossy, oblong. Fl. Jul-Aug, fr. Sep.

Abies forests, mixed forests, open woods, moist grassy beaches, gravelly slopes; 1800-3800 m. Gansu, Hubei, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan [Bhutan].