Herbs, perennial, 7-12 cm tall. Stems caespitose, erect. Stipules lanceolate, 5-7 mm, connate less than to middle. Leaves 5-9 cm, 11-19-foliolate; leaflet blades ovate, ovate-lan­ceolate, or ovate-oblong, 1.5-3 × 0.4-1.5 cm, abaxially with ap­pressed trichomes, adaxially glabrous. Racemes dense, with many flowers; bracts subulate-lanceolate, marcescent, 1/4-2/3 as long as pedicels; peduncle ± as long as to longer than leaves. Pedicel 3-4 mm. Calyx obliquely campanulate, 4-5 mm, pu­bescent; teeth triangular-subulate, unequal, most abaxial tooth ca. 2 mm and ca. 2 × as long as others. Corolla yellow; standard long obovate, 1.1-1.2 cm; wings as long as to slightly longer than standard; keel 2-3 mm longer than standard. Ovary pu­bescent. Legume divided into 2-4 articles; articles subglobose to broadly ovoid, (3-)4-5(-6) mm in diam., compressed, pubescent, margin narrow and entire. Fl. Jul-Aug, fr. Aug-Sep.

The roots are used medicinally.

● Gravelly and stony slopes, forest margins; 1200-3200 m. E and S Gansu, W Hebei, S Nei Mongol, Ningxia, N Shanxi, NW Sichuan.