Stems erect, simple, ca. 60 cm, glabrous. Leaf sheaths ca. 2.5 cm, ciliate at mouth; leaf blade lanceolate, 9--14 × 2.2--4.5 cm, apex acuminate; proximal leaves smaller and attenuate into a petiole, distal ones with shorter, winged petiole. Inflorescence ca. 17 cm, sparsely pubescent with multicellular, glandular hairs; peduncle ca. 4 cm. Pedicels ca. 7 mm at anthesis, subglabrous or sparsely pubescent with glandular, multicellular hairs. Sepals ovate-orbicular or oblong, boat-shaped, ca. 5 mm, sparsely pubescent with glandular, multicellular hairs along veins. Posterior 2 petals ovate-elliptic, anterior one nearly boat-shaped, not clawed, all blue, ca. 6 mm. Filaments glabrous, middle one (inserted opposite petal) 6--7 mm, others longer, ca. 12 mm; anthers oblong. Ovary narrowly ovoid. Style ca. 5 mm; ovules up to 8 per locule. Capsule and seeds unknown. Fl. Aug.

Tricarpelema xizangense is more similar to T. giganteum (Hasskarl) H. Hara (from the E Himalayan region) than to T. chinense, but differs from T. giganteum in having inflorescence axis and pedicels with multicellular, glandular hairs and pedicels only ca. 7 mm at anthesis.

* Broad-leaved forests; ca. 1800 m. SE Xizang (Mêdog Xian).