Plants 20–30 cm high. Rootstock short, dark brown, bearing numerous fleshy-fibrous roots. Stems 2–5, branched. Basal leaves several; petioles 7–22 cm; blade round-cordate to orbicular, 3–5.5 × 5–9 cm, palmately 3-parted, primary segments shallowly 2–3-lobed, sharply serrate; central segment obovate, 3–5.5 × 1.5–3 cm; lateral segments broadly obovate, usually parted to middle or near base. Peduncles 1–3-trichotomously branched, central branch usually with a simple umbel, lateral branches longer, with compound umbels; bracts 2, opposite, linear or ovate, 2–3-lobed; rays 3–5, unequal, 3–15 mm; bracteoles 7, ovate, ca. 1 × 0.5 mm; umbellules 3–7-flowered. Staminate flowers 2–6 per umbellule; petals white. Fertile flowers 1 per umbellule, sessile; calyx teeth ovate, ca. 0.6 × 0.5 mm; styles 2–3 mm, recurved. Fruit subglobose, ca. 2.5 × 2 mm, densely covered with scales and tubercles; vittae obscure. Fl. and fr. Apr–May.

Woods in valleys, forest margins, wet places on stream banks, roadsides; 500–2300 m. W Sichuan, Zhejiang.