Plants 10–15 cm high. Rootstock short, woody, bearing thinly fibrous roots, sometimes with rhizome or stolons. Stems 1–3, very slender. Basal leaves few; petioles 3–7 cm; blade reniform-orbicular or cordate-pentagonal, 1–2 × 2–3 cm, palmately 3–5-parted or foliolate; central segment broadly obovate or rhombic-obovate, short-petiolate, apex shallowly 3-lobed, sharply serrate, teeth mucronate to spinulose; lateral segments parted to base, trilobulate or entire, base cuneate. Cauline leaves reduced, subsessile, often 3-lobed. Inflorescence terminal, dichotomously branched, umbels 4–8; bracts linear, ca. 1 × 0.5 mm; rays 3–5 mm; umbellules 5–6-flowered. Staminate flowers 4–5 per umbellule, pedicels 1–2 mm; petals white. Fertile flowers 1 per umbellule, sessile; calyx teeth linear-lanceolate, ca. 1 × 0.3 mm; styles ca. 2 mm. Fruit subglobose, 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 mm; ribs bearing spiny crests, furrows smooth; vittae obscure. Fl. and fr. Mar–Oct.

Forests on mountain slopes; 2500–2700 m. Taiwan.