Herbs perennial, 6--15 cm tall. Roots robust. Stems sparsely caespitose, erect, simple, densely glandular hairy. Basal leaves saccate-oblanceolate, 3--6 × 0.8--1.2 cm, both surfaces subglabrous, margin ciliate, midvein prominent, base attenuate into petiole, apex obtuse, rarely rounded; cauline leaves 1 or 2 pairs oblanceolate to lanceolate, small. Cymes multiflowered. Pedicel 5--15 mm, glandular villous; bracts ovate-lanceolate, ca. 1 cm, herbaceous, glandular villous. Calyx narrowly campanulate, 9--11 × 3--3.5 mm, densely glandular villous, longitudinal veins not prominent; calyx teeth triangular, ca. 2 mm, ciliate, apex obtuse. Androgynophore 1--1.5 mm, pubescent. Petals pale red, 1.2--1.4 cm; claws oblanceolate, glabrous, exauriculate; limbs exserted beyond calyx, subsaccate, 3--5 mm, deeply 4-lobed to below middle of petal; lobes linear, nearly equal in size; lateral lobes spreading; coronal scales nearly flabellate, ca. 0.6 mm, margin entire or slightly emarginate. Stamens included; filaments glabrous. Styles exserted after anthesis. Capsule ovoid, ca. 8 mm, shorter than calyx. Fl. Sep--Oct.

Species nos. 91–110 belong to an informal group that approximates to Silene sect. Cucubaloideae Edgeworth & J. D. Hooker. As circumscribed here, this is a distinct, probably monophyletic group characterized by more or less creeping habit and fleshy, fasciculate root tubers.

The species of the “Cucubaloideae” group can be described as follows. Herbs perennial, with clustered, tuberous roots. Stems diffuse, supine or ascending, branched. Inflorescence a dichasial cyme. Flowers bisexual, erect. Calyx tubular-clavate or campanulate, appressed to capsule in fruit, 10-veined, veins usually violet, usually coherent at calyx teeth. Androgynophore short. Petals red, rarely white, bifid, sometimes 1-toothed on each side; coronal scales present. Styles 3. The group is distributed in China, the Himalayas, and Indo-China.

* About 2900 m. NW Yunnan.