Caudex carrot-shaped, to 10 cm, ca. 6 mm in diam. Stem twining, 1--2 m tall, apically branched, with leaves equally arranged along stem. Cauline leaves with petiole 2.2--4.5 cm; leaf blade ovate-pentagonal or pentagonal, 4.8--8 × 4.2--10(--14) cm, both surfaces sparsely pubescent or becoming glabrous, 3-parted; central lobe ovate-rhombic, apex acuminate, subpinnately parted; lateral lobes obliquely flabellate, unequally 2-parted. Inflorescence 10--40 cm, 10--16-flowered; rachis and pedicels sparsely retrorse or spreading pubescent; proximal bracts leaflike, distal ones linear. Pedicels 2--4.5 cm, or slender to 15 cm, with 2 bracteoles at middle or below; bracteoles subulate-linear, 2.5--4.5 × ca. 0.3 mm. Sepals blue-purple or purplish white; lower sepals ca. 1.4 cm; lateral sepals 1.3--1.6 cm; upper sepal galeate or high galeate, 2--2.8 cm high, not clawed, abaxially sparsely pubescent, usually becoming glabrous, beak ca. 5 mm, lower margin oblique upward. Petals glabrous; lip ca. 5.5 mm; spur ca. 2.5 mm. Stamens glabrous; filaments entire. Carpels 5, sparsely appressed pubescent. Follicles 1.2--1.7 cm. Seeds 2.5--3 mm. Fl. Aug--Oct.

* Picea forests, scrub, by streams; 3200--4000 m. SW Gansu, Sichuan.