Bulbs usually clustered, ovoid-cylindric, 0.5--1 cm in diam.; tunic grayish brown or tinged with yellow, papery, laciniate, sometimes fibrous at apex. Leaves 1 or 2, slightly shorter than scape, 2--6 mm wide, terete, fistulose, smooth or scabrous-denticulate. Scape 10--40(--60) cm, terete, covered with leaf sheaths for 1/3--1/2 its length, smooth or scabrous-denticulate. Spathe 2-valved, purple-red, persistent. Umbel subglobose, densely many flowered. Pedicels usually unequal, shorter than perianth, ebracteolate. Perianth purple-red to pale red; segments lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate to oblong, equal, 7--11(--17) × 3--4 mm, apex acute or acuminate. Filaments 1/3--1/2(--2/3) as long as perianth segments, connate at base and adnate to perianth segments for 1--1.5 mm; inner ones with triangular base, ca. 1/2 as wide as outer. Ovary subglobose, with concave nectaries at base. Style not exserted. Fl. and fr. Jul--Sep.

Meadows, valleys, damp slopes, along streams; 2000--3000 m. Xinjiang [India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia; SW Asia, Europe, North America].