Plants 12–35 cm, perennial. Taproot fusiform, vertical, thickened, often branched. Stems several, slender, erect, base without fibrous remnant sheaths. Lower leaves sessile; blade linear, 4–8 × 0.15–0.4 cm, base clasping. Middle leaves sessile; blade lanceolate, 5–10 × 0.3–0.7 cm, 9–15-nerved, base rounded, embracing, apex caudate. Upper leaves small, ovate-lanceolate. Umbels few, 1.5–2.7 cm across; bracts 2–4, ovate-lanceolate, 0.2–2.5 mm, unequal; rays (2–)3–5(–7), 3–25 mm, unequal; bracteoles 5, elliptic, 3–5 × 1–2 mm, equal, apex acuminate, about 1.5–2 times as long as flowers; umbellules ca. 10 mm across, 8–14-flowered; pedicels ca. 2 mm. Petals yellow or purplish. Stylopodium low-conic, discoid, yellow or purplish. Fruit oblong, gray-brown, ca. 2.5 × 1.1 mm; ribs prominent, narrowly winged; vittae 3 in each furrow, 4 on commissure. Fl. and fr. Jul–Sep.

This species has reputed medicinal value (in Yunnan). It is very similar to the C Asian Bupleurum falcatum Linnaeus.

Mountain slopes; 2500–5000 m. Sichuan, SE Xizang (Dinggyê), Yunnan.