Potentilla fulgens Lehmann; P. fulgens var. acutiserrata (T. T. Yü & C. L. Li) T. T. Yü & C. L. Li; P. fulgens var. macrophylla Cardot; P. martini H. Léveillé; P. siemersiana Lehmann, nom. illeg. (included P. lineata); P. siemersiana var. acutiserrata T. T. Yü & C. L. Li; P. splendens Buchanan-Hamilton ex Treviranus (1823), not Candolle (1805).

Herbs perennial. Flowering stems 5–40 cm tall, together with petioles densely spreading villous and pubescent. Radical leaves 4–30 cm including petiole; auricles of stipules free, apex acute; leaf blade interrupted pinnate with 5–13 pairs of leaflets; terminal leaflet oblong or broadly obovate, 1.5–4 × 0.8–1.5 cm, abaxially densely white sericeous or tomentose, adaxially appressed pilose, margin sharply serrate; cauline leaves: auricles of stipules herbaceous, abaxially white sericeous; leaf blade resembling that of radical leaves but pairs of leaflets fewer higher up stem. Inflorescence corymbose-cymose. Flowers 1–1.5 cm in diam.; pedicel 2–4 cm, with gland-tipped, multicellular hairs and unicellular hairs. Sepals entire at margin; epicalyx segments entire at margin or with 3–6 teeth. Petals yellow, obovate to broadly so, apex rounded. Style sub-basal. Achenes not seen. Fl. and fr. Jun–Oct. 2n = 14.

Various names has been used for this species, including Potentilla fulgens, P. lineata, P. siemersiana, and P. splendens. The earliest legitimate name is P. lineata.

Potentilla festiva and P. lineata are similar in external appearance, and were treated as conspecific for a long time. The auricles of the stipules of the radical leaves of P. festiva are connate from the base to the middle, whereas those of P. lineata are free. Moreover, P. lineata has gland-tipped, multicellular hairs as well as unicellular ones on the pedicels and abaxially on the hypanthium, whereas P. festiva has only unicellular hairs.

Forests, forest margins, thickets, grassy mountain slopes, open grassy places by roads; 1500--3800 m. Guizhou, Hubei, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Sikkim, N Vietnam].