Herbs perennial, cespitose, 4.5-35 cm tall. Stem sparsely brown crisped villous. Basal leaves with petiole 0.7-4.5 cm, margin brown crisped villous; leaf blade elliptic or oblong to linear-oblong, 0.5-3.4 cm × 1.5-5.5 mm, glabrous or adaxially brown crisped eglandular villous, apex obtuse or acute. Cauline leaves lanceolate to linear, 0.9-2.5 cm × 1.5-5.5 mm, abaxially and marginally glabrous or villous; proximal leaves with petiole 0.3-2 cm, distal ones sessile. Cyme 1.4-4 cm, 2-8-flowered, rarely flower solitary; pedicels 0.4-1.8 cm, brown crisped villous. Sepals erect, subovate to subelliptic, 3.8-5 × 2-3.3 mm, abaxially sometimes pilose, veins 5-8, not confluent at apex, margin crisped villous, apex obtuse. Petals yellow, obovate, elliptic, oblong, or pandurate to narrowly obovate, 0.8-1.3 cm × 3.3-6.9 mm, 2-callose near base, 5-15-veined, base with a claw 0.2-0.9 mm, apex obtuse or acute. Stamens 4-6 mm. Ovary subsuperior, 3.3-5 mm; styles 1.1-2.5 mm. Fl. and fr. May-Oct.

Saxifraga sinomontana is an extraordinarily variable species. However, there always seem to be intermediates between the numerous variants, or their diagnostic characters show reticulate variation. Therefore, the present authors have refrained from recognizing any varieties, except in one case, described below, where there does appear to be a genuine discontinuity.

Scrub, alpine meadows, marshy meadows, rock crevices, calcareous rocks; 2700-5300 m. S Gansu, Qinghai, S Shaanxi, W Sichuan, Xinjiang, E and S Xizang, NW Yunnan [Bhutan, N India, Kashmir, Nepal, Sikkim].