Stems 3 or 4(or 5), (5-)13-40 cm, with 1 leaf near base or in proximal 1/4. Basal leaves 3-8; petiole 3-7(-13) cm; leaf blade abaxially greenish, adaxially deep green or brown-green, elliptic or ovate-oblong, rarely oblong, (2-)2.5-7.5 × (1.5-)2-3.8 cm, thick textured or thin and papery, base subcuneate, sometimes truncate, apex acute or shortly acuminate. Cauline leaf similar to basal ones but smaller, often with a few rusty brown appendages at base. Flower 2.8-3.4 cm in diam.; hypanthium campanulate. Sepals densely brown punctate, ovate-oblong or ovate-lanceolate, ca. 8 × 3 mm, margin entire, apex obtuse. Petals white, purple-brown punctate, broadly ovate, 1.2-1.6 cm × 8-10 mm, base contracted into a claw 2-3 mm, margin entire or erose proximally, apex rounded. Anthers ellipsoid, 0.8-1.1 mm; filaments ca. 4.5 mm; staminodes flat, 4-5 mm, stalk ca. 2 × 1 mm, lamina 3-lobed for 1/5-1/4(-1/2) its length, lobes lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate. Ovary semi-inferior, ovoid; style ca. 2 mm; stigma 3-lobed. Capsule ovoid, 3- or 4-lobed. Seeds brown, glossy, oblong. Fl. Aug-Sep, fr. Sep. 2n = 18.

Abies or Betula forests, streamsides near forests, moist places in scrub, meadows in glacial valleys; 2700-3900 m. SE Xizang, NW Yunnan [Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Kashmir, Nepal, Pakistan].