Herbs perennial. Roots terete, slightly woody. Flowering stems ascending, sometimes spreading near ground, rarely erect, 3–40 cm tall, appressed or spreading pubescent or sericeous. Radical leaves 2.5–17 cm including petiole; stipules brown, membranous, abaxially pilose or glabrescent; petiole appressed or spreading pubescent; leaf blade pinnate with (2 or)3–5(or 6) pairs of leaflets; leaflets opposite, rarely alternate, at intervals of 0.5–2 cm, oblong-elliptic or broadly ovate, 1–5 × 0.8–2 cm, distal leaflets larger than proximal ones, abaxially white tomentose, appressed sericeous-villous on veins, adaxially appressed pubescent, densely appressed villous, or rarely glabrescent, midvein and lateral veins convex, margin revolute, pinnately parted almost to midvein, apex acute or ligulate; segments fasciated, fasciated lanceolate, or ligulate fasciated; cauline leaves 2 or 3; stipules green, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, herbaceous, apex acute or acuminate, 2-fid or entire; leaf blade resembling that of radical leaves but leaflets fewer higher up stem. Inflorescence corymbose-cymose, elongated and lax after flowering. Flowers 1.2–1.5 cm in diam.; pedicel 1.5–2.5 cm, pubescent. Sepals triangular-ovate, apex acute or acuminate; epicalyx segments lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, slightly shorter than sepals, appressed villous, apex obtuse or acute. Petals yellow, obovate, equaling sepals, apex emarginate. Style subterminal, conic, base thickened, papillate; stigma slightly enlarged. Achenes smooth or rugose. Fl. and fr. May–Aug.

Forest margins, meadows, grassy mountain slopes, alpine valleys, ravines, sandy river banks; 700--5000 m. Gansu, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Xizang, Yunnan [Asia, Europe, North America].