Cyananthus cronquistii K. K. Shrestha; C. hookeri var. densus C. Marquand; C. hookeri var. grandiflorus C. Marquand; C. hookeri var. hispidus Franchet; C. hookeri var. levicalyx Y. S. Lian; C. hookeri var. levicaulis Franchet.

Stems usually caespitose, suberect or ascending, 4-20 cm, glabrous to rather densely villous; branches 1.5-10 cm. Leaves alternate; blade rhombic or ovate, 3-7 × 2-6 mm, abaxially sparsely to rather densely hirsute, adaxially sparsely to rather densely hispidulous, base obtuse or truncate, abruptly attenuate into petiole, margin crenate or sometimes entire, apex obtuse or subacute; petiole 1-4 mm. Flowers small, solitary, terminal on main stems and branches, subtended by a whorl-like aggregation of 3-5 leaves, almost sessile. Calyx densely hirsute outside with long stiff yellow-brown hairs, rarely subglabrous; tube ovoid, 3-8 mm; lobes (3 or)4(or 5), triangular, 1/3-1/2 as long as tube, both sides hirsute. Corolla purple-blue, cylindrical, 7-15 mm, outside glabrous, inside densely villous at throat; lobes usually (3 or)4(or 5), narrowly obovate or oblong, apex often with 3 or 4 brown-yellow villous hairs. Stamens 4. Style extending above corolla throat; stigma 4-fid. Capsules ovoid, exserted above calyx at maturity. Seeds narrowly ovoid, ca. 1.2 × 0.4 mm. Fl. Aug-Sep.

Thickets, grasslands; 2700-4500 m. SE Gansu (Tao He basin), S Qinghai (Tongren, Yushu), W Sichuan (W of Kangding and Lixian), E Xizang (E of Namling), N Yunnan [Bhutan, NE India (Sikkim), Nepal].