Herbs perennial, 7-15 cm tall, glabrous or sparsely to densely pilose with trichomes to 0.7 mm. Rhizomes thick, to 10 × 5 mm, with numerous stolons. Stems erect, simple, thick at base, pilose or glabrous at base. Rhizomal and lowermost cauline leaves pilose; petiole 1-3 cm; leaf blade pinnatisect into linear to linear-oblanceolate lobes; terminal lobe obovate in outine, to 8 × 4 mm, cuneate basally into a petiolule 1-4 mm, deeply trifid or apically three toothed; lateral lobes 1-4 on each side of rachis, 2-8 × 0.5-2 mm, undivided or unequally 2- or 3-fid, margin entire, apex acute. Cauline leaves 2-4, including petiole 1.5-4.5 cm, similar to lowermost cauline leaves but with fewer and narrower lobes, petiole base not auriculate. Racemes ebracteate, 6-14-flowered. Pedicels of young fruit ascending or suberect, 0.7-1.5 cm, slender, glabrous, subappressed to rachis. Sepals ovate or suboblong, 2-2.5 × 0.8-1.5 mm, sparsely pilose, subapically membranous, lateral pair subsaccate. Petals lavender, obovate, 5-6 × 2-2.5 mm, apex obtuse. Median filament pairs 2.5-3.5 mm, flattened and to 0.5 mm wide; lateral pair 1.5-2 mm; anthers oblong, 0.6-0.8 mm. Ovules 12-16 per ovary. Young fruit ca. 2 cm × 0.8 mm; valves glabrous; style 1-1.5 mm. Mature seeds not seen. Fl. Jul.

Cardamine caroides, which at present is known only from the holotype, T. T. Yü 6889 (PE), is a delicate plant resembling C. parviflora, but is distinct on account of its stoloniferous rhizomes and larger flowers.

* About 3800 m. Sichuan.