Bulbs clustered, narrowly conical to subcylindric, 0.8--1.5 cm in diam.; tunic grayish or yellowish white, thinly leathery to subpapery, splitting; inner layers pinkish lilac. Leaves slightly shorter than scape, 0.5--1 mm wide, semiterete, adaxially channeled, usually smooth. Scape (20--)30--50 cm, terete, smooth or scabrous, covered with leaf sheaths for 1/4--1/3 its length. Spathe persistent; beak 2--4 × as long as limb. Umbel globose, densely many flowered. Pedicels equal, ca. 1.5 × as long as perianth, bracteolate. Perianth pale to lemon yellow; segments with green or greenish pink midvein, oblong-ovate, ca. 4 mm, apex acute; inner ones slightly longer than outer. Filaments subulate, equal, ca. 1.5 × as long as perianth segments, connate at base and adnate to perianth segments. Ovary subglobose, with small, concave nectaries at base. Style exserted. Fl. Jul. 2 n = 16.

Stony slopes, cliffs. NW Xinjiang [Kazakhstan].