Plant 25–60 cm, perennial. Rhizome dark brown, usually branched, often thick. Stems several, tufted, stout, base without fibrous remnant sheaths. Basal leaves many; petioles often purplish-red, clasping; blade narrow-oblong or oblanceolate, 10–20 × 1–2 cm, thick-papery, 7–9-nerved, base tapering, margins white scarious, apex obtuse or acute, apiculate. Cauline leaves sessile. Apical leaf long-ovate, 1.5–7.5 × 1–1.7 cm, base rounded, sometimes auriculate, clasping, apex acuminate. Bracts 0 or 1–2, broadly ovate, 7–18 × 4–11 mm, unequal; rays 4–9, 0.5–4 cm, unequal, angled; bracteoles 6–9, ovate or broad-ovate, 4.5–6 × 3–5 mm, equal, acute, apiculate, exceeding (to × 1.5) flowers; umbellules 1–2 cm across; pedicels 1.5–2.5 mm. Petals yellow, occasionally abaxially purplish-red. Stylopodium low-conic, discoid, dark yellow or purple-brown. Fruit ovoid, brown, 3.5–4 × 2–2.5 mm; ribs acute, prominent; vittae 3 in each furrow, 3–4 on commissure. Fl. and fr. Jul–Sep.

Mountain slopes, grassy places, sunny riverside shingle; 1400–3700 m. Gansu, Hebei, Henan, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shanxi.