Herbs 0.8-1.2 m tall. Rhizomes transversely elongating, columnar, 3-4 cm in diam., pale purple inside. Stems angular, subglabrous. Leaves palmately compound; petiole 15-40 cm, sheathlike and long hairy at base; leaflets 5-7, obovate to oblanceolate, 7.5-30 × 2.7-12 cm, herbaceous or thinly leathery, abaxially long pilose along veins, adaxially sparsely subsessile glandular hairy along veins, base cuneate and sessile, margin doubly serrate, apex shortly acuminate. Pleiochasium paniculate, ca. 26 cm; branches and pedicels white paleaceous hairy and sparsely glandular hairy. Sepals (4 or)5(or 6), spreading, subtriangular, 1.5-2 × ca. 1.8 mm, abaxially and marginally pilose and shortly glandular hairy, adaxially glabrous or subsessile glandular hairy, veins arcuate and pinnate, not or partly to completely confluent at apex, apex shortly acuminate. Stamens 1.2-2.6 mm. Ovary subsuperior, ca. 1 mm; styles 2, 0.8-1 mm. Capsule ovoid, rostrate. Seeds many, brown, fusiform, 1.8-2 mm. Fl. and fr. May-Oct. 2n = 60.

Forests, forest margins, scrub, meadows, rock clefts; 1100-3800 m. SE Gansu, ?Hebei, W Henan, W Hubei, S Ningxia, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [Myanmar].