Plants 10–50 cm tall, white puberulent. Root fusiform, 30–50 × 5–10 mm; stem collar fibrous with residual sheaths. Stem 2–3-branched, hispid. Leaves mostly basal; petioles 1.5–9 cm; leaf blade narrowly oblong or lanceolate, 2.5–16 × 0.6–2.5 cm, 3–4-pinnate; primary pinnae 4–7 pairs, ultimate segments linear, 2–5 × 0.5–1 mm. Cauline leaves few, similar to the basal, smaller. Inflorescence 1–2-branched, terminal umbels 3–4 cm wide, compact; peduncles 5–25 cm, hispid; bracts 4–5, linear, 2–6 mm, sparsely puberulent; rays 4–12, unequal, 0.5–2.5 cm, scabrid; bracteoles 4–5, linear-lanceolate, 3–5 mm, sometimes 2-lobed at apex, hispidulous. Calyx teeth prominent, triangular, ca. 0.75 mm, unequal. Petals white, yellowish or purplish, outer flowers in umbel radiant, enlarged petals very conspicuous, deeply 2-lobed, abaxially hispidulous. Ovary sparsely puberulent. Fruit broad ovoid, 5–6 × ca. 4 mm, puberulent; lateral ribs narrowly winged; vittae solitary in each furrow, 2 on commissure, clavate, slender, extending to 3/4 length of mericarp. Seed face plane. Fl. Jun–Aug, fr. Sep–Oct. 2n = 22*.

This species is retained within the genus Heracleum on account of the radiant outer flowers and clavate vittae.

Coniferous forests, sparse forests, forest margins, alpine scrub and meadows, riparian grasslands, crop margins; 2800–5000 m. C and SW Gansu, Qinghai, W Sichuan, SE Xizang, NW Yunnan [Bhutan].