Plants 40–80 cm, perennial. Rootstock woody, tawny, thickened and branched at apex forming caudex. Stems numerous, branched above, base without fibrous remnant sheaths. Basal leaves lanceolate, 10–20 × 1–2 cm including petioles, 5–7-nerved, thinly coriaceous, adaxially yellow-green, abaxially greenish-white, base tapering into long petioles, apex acute to rounded, rigidly apiculate. Middle leaves short-petiolate or sessile; blade lanceolate, sometimes slightly falcate, 4–17 × 0.7–1.5 cm. Apical leaves small, elliptic, rigid. Umbels 3–7 cm across; bracts 4–6(–8), 4–11 × 0.5–3 mm, unequal; rays of terminal umbels 10–20, lateral umbels 6–8-rayed, 5–35 mm, unequal; bracteoles 5, ovate-lanceolate, 4–7 × 1–2 mm, equaling or slightly shorter than umbellules, yellowish-green, rigid, often reflexed; umbellules 3–5 mm across, 18–22-flowered; pedicels 1–2.5 mm. Petals yellow, tips 2-lobed. Stylopodium low-conic, dark yellow. Fruit terete-oblong, dark brown, 3–4 × 1.5–2 mm; ribs prominent; vittae 1(rarely 2–3) in each furrow, 2 on commissure. Fl. and fr. Jul–Sep.

This species has reputed medicinal value.

Under shrubs, dry stony mountain slopes; 1200–2000 m. Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia].