Plants 8–35(–50) cm high. Rootstock short, tuberlike, woody, bearing a fascicle of thinly fibrous roots. Stems 1–6, erect. Basal leaves several; petioles 5–26 cm; blade round-cordate or cordate-pentagonal, 2–7 × 3.5–7 cm, palmately 3-parted or foliolate; central segment cuneate-obovate or rhombic-cuneate, 2–7 × 1–4 cm; lateral segments oblique-obovate, usually parted to base, base cuneate; all segments abaxially pale green and pale purplish red along veins, distally shallowly 2–3-lobed, serrate, teeth mucronate to spinulose. Cauline leaves small, petiolate, 3-lobed. Inflorescence 2–3-branched; umbels 3–8; bracts 3–5, 1–2.5 mm, unequal; rays 3–8 mm; bracteoles 5, linear to subulate; umbellules 6 or 7-flowered. Staminate flowers 5(or 6) per umbellule, pedicels 2–3.5 mm; petals white, pale blue or purplish red, obovate, 1–1.8 × 0.8–1.2 mm. Fertile flowers 1 per umbellule, sessile; calyx teeth narrow-linear, 0.5–1 mm; styles 3.5–4 mm, recurved. Fruit ovoid, 2.5–3 × 2–2.5 mm, covered with short, straight spines; vittae obscure. Fl. and fr. Apr–Sep.

Forests, mountain summits, stream banks, roadsides on mountain slopes; 200–3200 m. Anhui, Chongqing, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Cambodia, India, Laos, Vietnam].