Herbs perennial, 5--23 cm tall, ± pubescent, not drying black. Stems usually cespitose, spreading, unbranched, with 1 or 2 lines of hairs. Basal leaves sometimes withering early; petiole to 3 cm; leaf blade oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate-linear, to 6 X 1.5 cm, pinnatisect; segments to 15 pairs, ovate to lanceolate-oblong, pinnatifid to double dentate. Stem leaves alternate or sometimes proximal ones pseudo-opposite. Inflorescences racemose, few-flowered; bracts leaflike. Calyx 1.2--2 cm, 2/5--1/2 cleft anteriorly, glabrous or slightly pubescent; lobes 3, subequal to unequal, posterior ones sometimes smallest, entire, lateral pair leaflike. Corolla yellow, 4--5 cm, pubescent; tube less than 3 X as long as calyx; galea falcate apically; beak slightly semicircular, 7--8 mm; lower lip ca. 1.3 X 2 cm, densely ciliate, middle lobe emarginate. Filaments densely pubescent. Fl. Jun--Jul, fr. Aug.

* Alpine meadows; 2600--4200 m. SW Gansu, NE Qinghai, Sichuan, NW Yunnan