Perennials, cespitose. Rhizomes elongated, branched. Stems ascending, much branched at base, 5-15 cm tall, glabrous or basally obscurely pubescent along 2 lines and apically tomentose with white multicellular hairs. Leaves sessile, lower ones scalelike; leaf blade ovate-orbicular, 1-2 X 0.5-1.5 cm, sparsely villous, margin equally dentate. Inflorescences terminal, racemose, capitate; bracts elliptic, lowermost to 8 mm, densely white tomentose. Pedicel 2-2.5 mm. Calyx 5-lobed, densely white tomentose; lobes obovate-lanceolate, upper lobe much smaller than others. Corolla dark blue, 5-7 mm, pilose; tube 1.5-2 mm; lobes obovate-orbicular to ovate. Stamens exserted. Ovary apically hairy. Capsule obovate, slightly compressed, ca. 4 mm, glabrous or apically hairy. Style ca. 6 mm. Seeds ca. 1 mm. Fl. May-Jun.

Stony slopes, forests, alpine zone; below 3400 m. Xinjiang (Yining Xian) [Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia].