Herbs perennial, 6.5-21 cm tall. Stem sparsely brown crisped villous. Basal leaves with petiole 1.2-2.2 cm, margin brown crisped villous; leaf blade elliptic, lanceolate, or oblong to linear-oblong, 1.1-2.2 cm × 3-10 mm, both surfaces glabrous, margin brown pilose or glabrous. Cauline leaves lanceolate to oblong, 0.4-2.2 cm × 1-6 mm, both surfaces glabrous, margin brown crisped villous; proximal ones larger with petiole longer, distal ones smaller with petiole gradually shorter to absent. Flower solitary or cyme 2-3.7 cm and 2-4-flowered; pedicels 0.9-1.3 cm, brown crisped villous. Sepals erect, then spreading to reflexed, elliptic, or ovate to narrowly so, 3-6.1 × 1.5-3.5 mm, abaxially and marginally brown crisped villous or glabrous on both surfaces, veins 3-11(-13), not confluent at apex, apex obtuse or acute. Petals yellow, elliptic or obovate to narrowly ovate, 7.9-10.3 × 2.9-6.8 mm, 2-callose, 7-11(-17)-veined, base with a claw 0.3-0.5 mm, apex subobtuse or acute. Stamens 4-5.5 mm. Ovary subsuperior, ovoid, 2-5 mm; styles 1-1.8 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun-Sep. 2n = 16, 32.

Forests, alpine meadows, rock crevices; 2100-5000 m. Shanxi, W Sichuan, Xinjiang, Xizang, NW Yunnan [Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Sikkim, Tajikistan; C and N Europe, ?North America].