Caudex ovate or carrot-shaped, 2.5--3 cm, ca. 1 cm in diam. Stem erect, to 60 cm tall, simple, basally becoming glabrous, apically retrorse pubescent. Leaves long petiolate; petiole ca. 3 × as long as blade, glabrous; leaf blade orbicular-pentagonal, 3--7 × 4--8 cm, 3-parted nearly to base; central lobe broadly rhombic, 3-fid ± to middle, margin with several narrowly ovate to ovate lobules; lateral lobes ca. 2 × as wide as central lobe, unequally 2-parted. Inflorescence to 16 cm, many flowered, sometimes only 1-flowered, rachis and pedicels retrorse pubescent; bracts nearly sessile, leaflike, pubescent. Pedicels to 4.5 cm, with 2 bracteoles above middle; bracteoles leaflike, broadly ovate, to 1 cm. Sepals blue-violet, pubescent; lower sepals oblong or elliptic, 1--1.2 × ca. 0.5 cm; lateral sepals obliquely broadly obovate, ca. 1.7 × 0.8 cm; upper sepal navicular, ca. 2 cm high, shortly beaked, lower margin suberect or slightly concave. Petals ca. 2 cm, pubescent; claw curved, slender; lip slightly concave at apex; spur incurved, ca. 1.5 mm. Stamens pubescent distally; filaments entire. Carpels 5--7, densely sericeous. Fr. Aug--Sep.

* Forests, by streams; 4000--4700 m. SE Xizang.