Herbs perennial, 16-43 cm tall. Stem proximally brown crisped villous or glabrous, distally shortly glandular hairy. Basal leaves with petiole 3-9 cm, abaxially and marginally brown villous; leaf blade ovate-cordate to narrowly ovate, 1.5-5 × 1.2-2.6 cm, abaxially and marginally brown pubescent, adaxially glabrous or brown pilose near base, base cordate, apex acute. Cauline leaves 8-12; petiole 0.5-4 cm, brown crisped villous; leaf blade subcordate or ovate-cordate to narrowly ovate, 1-6.3 × 0.4-4 cm, base cordate or subcordate, apex obtuse or acute; proximal leaf blades larger, abaxially and marginally brown pilose or glandular pilose, adaxially glabrous or subglabrous; distal leaf blades smaller, usually glabrous on both surfaces, glandular hairy at margin. Cyme corymbose, 3-14 cm, 5-17-flowered; pedicels 6-12 mm, glandular hairy. Sepals reflexed, narrowly to broadly ovate, 3-4.2 × 1.3-3.5 mm, abaxially glandular hairy or glabrous on both surfaces, veins 3(-5), not or partly confluent at apex, margin membranous, glandular ciliate, apex obtuse or acute, rarely erose. Petals yellow, elliptic, obovate, or ovate to narrowly so, rarely oblong, 5-8 × 2-5 mm, usually not callose, rarely 4-6-callose, (3-)5-7(-9)-veined, base narrowed into a claw 0.5-1.3 mm, apex obtuse. Stamens 4-5.6 mm. Ovary subsuperior, ovoid, 3-4.2 mm; styles 1-1.6 mm. Fl. and fr. Aug-Oct. 2n = 16, (?20).

Saxifraga diversifolia is extremely polymorphic. Many of the variants have been published as species, which are accepted as such in the present account because a very narrow species concept has been adopted in classifying the variation. However, many botanists would prefer to see rather more "lumping," and comments relating to how this might be done are made in relevant places.

Forests, forest margins, scrub, alpine meadows, rock crevices; 2700-4300 m. W Sichuan, SE Xizang, N Yunnan [Bhutan, Kashmir, Myanmar, Nepal, Sikkim].