Plants 10–30 cm, perennial. Rhizome short, horizontal. Stems few or several, slender, base without fibrous remnant sheaths. Basal leaves many; blade narrow-lanceolate or linear, 6–13 × 0.3–0.7 cm, thin, abaxially glaucous, 3–5-nerved, base tapering into a long petiole. Cauline leaves 1–3, lanceolate, sessile, base clasping, apex obtuse-acute, 5–7-nerved. Umbels terminal, ca. 3 cm across; bracts 1–3, ovate-lanceolate, 5–15 × 3–5 mm, unequal, base embracing; rays 2–3(–4), slender, 1.5–5 cm, unequal; bracteoles 5–6, ovate to broadly ovate, 5–7 × 3–7 mm, exceeding flowers, 7–9-nerved; umbellules ca. 10 mm across, 10–20-flowered; pedicels ca. 2 mm. Petals yellow, midvein purplish, prominent. Stylopodium low-conic, discoid, dark purple. Fruit oblong, dark brown, 3–4 × 2–2.5 mm; ribs acute; vittae large, 2 in each furrow, 2 on commissure. Fl. and fr. Jul–Sep.

This species has reputed medicinal value (in Xinjiang). It is considered to be closely related to Bupleurum triradiatum, and in C Asia the two taxa intergrade.

Alpine meadows, gravelly slopes; 2500–3100 m. Qinghai, Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan].