Herbs perennial, cespitose, 3.5-31 cm tall. Stem brown crisped villous. Basal leaves with petiole 1.7-2.5 cm, margin sparsely brown crisped villous; leaf blade ovate or lanceolate to oblong, 0.6-3.3 cm × 3-11 mm, both surfaces glabrous, margin brown crisped villous, apex obtuse or acute. Cauline leaves oblong to narrowly so or lanceolate, 0.7-3.5 cm × 2.3-10 mm, brown crisped villous abaxially proximally and at margin. Inflorescence 1-7.5 cm, (2-)8-24-flowered; pedicels densely brown crisped villous. Sepals erect, then spreading to reflexed, ovate to narrowly so or elliptic, 1.7-3.3 × 1-2.2 mm, both surfaces usually glabrous, abaxially sometimes brown crisped villous proximally, veins 3-5, not confluent at apex, margin brown crisped villous, apex obtuse. Petals yellow on both surfaces or purple abaxially and yellow adaxially, ovate to narrowly so or elliptic, 2.5-4.5 × 1.1-2.5 mm, 2-callose, 3-5(-7)-veined, base with a claw 0.3-0.8 mm, apex obtuse. Stamens 2-2.2 mm. Ovary subinferior, with an annular nectary disc; styles ca. 1 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun-Oct.

Saxifraga lamashanensis K. S. Hao (Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 40: 214. 1936) is known only from the type collection (from Gansu), which is now lost. It may be related to S. tangutica (see FRPS, p. 202).

The variation of Saxifraga tangutica is such that the two varieties described below are simply the extremes of a continuum.

Forests, scrub, alpine scrub meadows, alpine meadows, rock crevices; 2900-5600 m. S Gansu, Qinghai, N and W Sichuan, Xizang [Bhutan, Kashmir, Nepal, Sikkim].