Perennial with a slender, woody rootstock bearing fibrous remains of leaves from previous years. Stems 30-70 (-90) cm high, terminating with a single flower on a long peduncle. The involucre with several branches bearing an involucel and several flowering pedicels or some at least bearing a secondary involucel and shorter secondary pedicels with flowers. Stem and branches covered with antrorse hairs. Petioles of radical leaves much shorter than stem, 12-15 cm long, sparingly patent hairy. Blade ternate to the base, 6-12 cm wide. sub-orbicular with a wide basal sinus, segments ovate, acute, deeply trifid, with primary lobes pinnately lobed and irregularly dentate to serrate-dentate. Involucral leaves 3, triad to about 2/3rd the length, basal part narrow, the segments narrowly lanceolate to ovate, deeply pinnately lobed, with remote narrow linear lobes. Involucels similar, but primary linear-lanceolate lobes dentate to serrate-dentate. Flowers 20-30 (-35) mm in diameter. Sepals white or with a few appressed hairs in the central part of the outer side, ovate-oblong to ovate-lanceolate, obtuse or subacute. Carpels numerous, oblong, with long hooked beaks.

Type: along rivulets in Nepal around Chitlong, Buchanan-Hamilton (?BM).

Distribution: W. and C. Himalaya through the high mountainous areas of India, Nepal, Sri-Lanka, Burma, W. & N. China.

An uncommon plant reportedly collected by Visser from the Karakorams.