Stem 1, ca. 6 cm, with 1 leaf near base. Basal leaves 2-4; petiole 5-11 mm; leaf blade densely purple-brown punctate, ovate-cordate, ca. 1 cm × 3-8 mm, arcuate 5-veined, base cordate, apex rounded-obtuse. Cauline leaf shortly petiolate or semiamplexicaul, similar to basal ones but much smaller, base often with several rusty brown appendages. Flower ca. 1.6 cm in diam.; hypanthium turbinate. Sepals oblong or ovate-oblong, ca. 3.1 × 1.5 mm, base often with several rusty brown appendages, margin entire, apex rounded. Petals white, densely purple punctate, broadly obovate, ca. 8 × 5 mm, 5-veined, base cuneate, occasionally sparsely and shortly fimbriate, margin sparsely erose, apex truncate, emarginate, or indistinctly cleft. Anthers ellipsoid, ca. 1 mm; filaments unequal; staminodes flat, ca. 1.6 mm, stalk ca. 0.5 mm, lamina ca. 1.1 mm, 3-lobed to middle, lobes oblong. Ovary semi-inferior, ovoid; style ca. 0.5 mm; stigma 3-lobed, lobes obovate, becoming reflexed. Capsule unknown. Fl. Aug.

In habit, this species most closely resembles Parnassia trinervis, which differs in having taller stems, 7-20(-30) cm, a sessile cauline leaf, and oblanceolate petals, rounded and entire at the apex.

* Grassy slopes; ca. 4200 m. NW Yunnan (Dêqên Xian).