Herbs 18–32 cm tall. Stems red-brownish, sparsely white villous or sericeous. Radical leaves 4.5–13 cm including petiole; stipules ca. 1 cm; petiole 1–6 cm; leaf blade with 13–21 leaflets; leaflets 1–2.5 × 0.5–1 cm, papery, lateral veins obscure, base rounded, margin entire, apex 2- or 3-lobed. Inflorescences 5–20 cm, 12–15-flowered; bract 8–20 mm; involucre abaxially with long, simple hairs and short, glandular hairs, adaxially glabrous, lobes acute at apex, 2 opposite ones longer than others, 2–3 × 0.8–1 mm. Flowers 1–2 cm in diam.; pedicel erect, 1.5–4 cm. Hypanthium ca. 2 mm. Sepals 3–6 × 1–1.8 mm, apex acute; epicalyx segments 1.2–3.5 × 1–3 mm, abaxially with long, simple hairs throughout and short, glandular hairs near apex, adaxially glabrous, apex obtuse or acute. Petals 4–10 × 2.5–6 mm, tapering into a short claw at base, apex rounded or subobtuse. Filaments yellow, 3–6 mm. Achene yellow-brown, 3–4 mm in diam. Fl. Jul–Aug, fr. Sep–Oct.

This species (both varieties) is used medicinally.

Alpine meadows, limestone mountain slopes; 3000--5000 m. Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan].