Caprifolium hemsleyanum Kuntze; C. karelinii Kuntze; Lonicera adenophora Franchet; L. alpigena Linnaeus var. phaeantha Rehder; L. hemsleyana (Kuntze) Rehder; L. heteroloba Batalin; L. heterophylla Decaisne; L. heterophylla var. karelinii (Bunge ex Kirilov) Rehder; L. jilongensis P. S. Hsu & H. J. Wang; L. karelinii Bunge ex Kirilov; L. mupinensis Rehder; L. perulata Rehder; L. tatsienensis Franchet; L. webbiana var. lanpingensis Y. C. Tang; L. webbiana var. mupinensis (Rehder) P. S. Hsu & H. J. Wang; Xylosteon karelinii Kuntze.

For description see under species complex. Distinguishing characters for this species are as follows: Ovaries free. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Aug-Sep.

Needle-leaved and broad-leaved mixed forests, scrub, grassy slopes; 1800-4000 m. S Gansu, W Hubei, Jiangxi, S Ningxia, E Qinghai, S Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan, Xizang, NW Yunnan [Afghanistan, Bhutan, Kashmir].