Rhizomes grayish brown, thick. Leaves sword-shaped, 30--60 × 0.8--1.8 cm, midvein absent, base surrounded by maroon-brown fibers. Flowering stems with 1--3 long, slender branches, 60--100 cm; spathes 3, green, ovate to lanceolate, 2--4 × 0.8--1.6 cm, 2-flowered, apex acuminate. Flowers violet or blue, 7--8 cm in diam.; pedicel slender, 2.5--3.5 cm. Perianth tube ca. 1 cm; outer segments broadly obovate, 4--4.5 × 2--2.5 cm, claw yellow, veined purple; inner segments erect, narrowly oblanceolate to subulate, short, ca. 2.5 cm. Stamens ca. 2 cm; anthers purple. Ovary ca. 1 cm. Style branches, ca. 3 × 1.6--2 cm. Capsule ellipsoid to ovoid, ca. 3 × 1.8--2 cm, 6-ribbed, apex not beaked. Seeds pale brown. Fl. Jul, fr. Aug--Sep. 2 n = 34, 36, 38.

Wet subalpine meadows, near ponds; 1500--2500 m. E Jilin [Japan, Korea, Russia; North America (Alaska, E Canada)].