Herbs short, 10-25 cm tall. Stem erect, finely striped, slender, pilose. Basal leaves 2 or 3; petiole subterete, ca. as long as blade or slightly longer, hairy; leaf blades ovate-elliptic, 1.5-5 × 1-3 cm, subleathery, abaxially pilose, adaxially glabrous, rarely pilose at base of midvein, basal veins 3-5, middle one stout, base cordate, margin entire, apex obtuse. Stem leaves 1 or 2, nearly lanceolate, small; ocrea short, ca. 5 mm, membranous when dry, glabrous, not clasping. Panicle narrow, sparsely branched, pilose. Pedicel 2-3 mm, slender, jointed at base. Flowers 2- or 3-fascicled. Tepals not spreading, with purple-red margin, elliptic or broadly elliptic, 1.5-2 mm. Stamens 9 or fewer, shorter than perianth. Ovary broadly ellipsoid; stigma nearly inflated. Fruit triangular or triangular-ovoid, 5-6 mm; wings narrow, 1-1.5 mm wide, with longitudinal vein at middle. Seeds ovoid, 2-2.5 mm wide. Fl. Jun-Jul, fr. Aug-Sep.

* Slopes; 2800-4500 m. Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Xizang.