Plants perennial, 15--20(--25) cm tall. Rhizome thick. Stems creeping, terete, 0.3--0.7 mm in diam. Cataphylls few. Cauline leaf 1; leaf sheath auricles absent; leaf blade terete, slightly compressed, shorter than stems, 1--1.5 mm in diam., jointed near apex, part above node soon withered. Inflorescences terminal; head solitary, hemispheric, 5--8-flowered; bracts 5 or 6; basal bract subequaling head; other bracts lanceolate, shorter than head, membranous, veins 1--3. Pedicels 1.5--1.8 mm. Bracteole 1 subtending each flower. Perianth segments whitish, lanceolate; outer segments 3.9--5.8 mm; inner segments 3.8--5.2 mm. Stamens 6; filaments brown, 3.8--5 mm; anthers 1.2--1.5(--2) mm. Ovary ovoid, ca. 2.6 mm. Style 1.2--1.7 mm; stigmas 0.5--0.7 mm. Capsule (immature) trigonous, 1-loculed. Fl. Jun--Jul.

* Mainly in mountains; 2600--3800 m. W Yunnan (Yangbi Xian).