Plants perennial. Rhizome long. Stems to 40 cm tall, unbranched, basally with sheathlike scales. Stem leaves with petiole to 15 cm basally on stem, shortly petiolate or sessile toward stem apex; leaf blade ovate-pentagonal, 3.5--5 × 3--4.5 cm, 3 × pinnately divided, abaxially pubescent when young, glabrate; ultimate segments ovate-rhombic to sublanceolate, base cuneate, apex acute. Pedicel short, pubescent. Sepals 6--8, pale purple, ovate, ca. 1.5 × 6--7 mm, abaxially pubescent, apex unequally toothed. Petals 16--24, yellow, oblanceolate, 2--2.8 × 0.8--1 cm, apex obtuse. Aggregate fruit globose, ca. 1 cm in diam. Achenes 5--7 mm, glabrous; persistent styles long, bent. Fl. May--Jun, fr. Aug.

This species is used medicinally.

Grassy slopes on mountains; 2200--2600 m. W Xinjiang, W Xizang [Kashmir, Pakistan, Russia].