Bistorta milletii H. Léveillé, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 12: 286. 1913; B. taipaishanensis (H. W. Kung) Yonekura & H. Ohashi; Polygonum taipaishanense H. W. Kung.

Herbs perennial. Rhizomes black, curved, large, 1.5-2 cm in diam. Stems usually 2 or 3 from rhizome, erect, 30-50 cm tall, simple, glabrous. Basal leaves long petiolate; petiole 8-12 cm; leaf blade greenish abaxially, green adaxially, lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, 10-20 × 1.5-3 cm, subleathery, abaxially glabrous or pubescent, adaxially glabrous, base cuneate, decurrent along petiole forming narrow wing, margin entire, revolute, apex acuminate. Cauline leaves shortly petiolate or subsessile; leaf blade lanceolate, smaller; ocrea: lower part green, upper part brown, tubular, membranous, apex oblique, not ciliate, cleft to middle. Inflorescence terminal, spicate, dense, 2-4 cm, 1-1.5 cm in diam.; bracts brown, ovate-lanceolate, 3-4 mm, membranous, apex acuminate. Pedicels longer than bracts, 4-6 mm, slender. Perianth purple-red, 5-parted; tepals elliptic, 4-5 mm, apex obtuse. Stamens 8, exserted; anthers black-purple. Styles 3, connate to below middle; stigmas capitate. Achenes included in persistent perianth, brown, shiny, ovoid, trigonous, 3-4 mm. Fl. Jul-Aug, fr. Sep-Oct.

Mountain slopes, meadows, wet valleys; 1700-3900 m. ?Qinghai, S Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan [Bhutan, N India, Nepal].