Herbs perennial, encircled at base with broadly ovate (1.5--4 X 1--2 cm), subfleshy bud scales. Leaves forming a rosette; petiole broadly winged, indistinct to nearly as long as leaf blade; leaf blade oblong to oblanceolate, 3--15 X 1.5--4 cm, enlarging to 20 cm or longer at fruiting, abaxially pubescent along veins or subglabrous, sometimes white or yellow farinose at fruiting, adaxially puberulous or glabrescent, base attenuate, margin denticulate, apex rounded to obtuse. Scapes 5--30 cm, elongating to 45 cm in fruit, glabrous or puberulous, efarinose or farinose in upper 1/2; umbels capitate, many flowered; bracts numerous, lanceolate, 5--10 mm, base overlapping and slightly gibbous. Pedicel 1--5 mm. Flowers heterostylous. Calyx narrowly campanulate, 5--10 mm, farinose or minutely glandular, parted to middle or below; lobes often tinged with purple, oblong-lanceolate, ciliolate. Corolla purple to pinkish purple, rarely white, with a yellow eye, exannulate; tube 0.8--1.2 cm; limb 1--2 cm wide; lobes obovate, deeply emarginate. Pin flowers: stamens ca. 3 mm above base of corolla tube; style 6--7 mm. Thrum flowers: stamens ca. 6 mm above corolla tube; style 1.5--2 mm. Capsule subglobose, shorter than calyx. 2n = 22, 32, 34, 44, 22 + 5f.

Moist meadows, grassy slopes, among shrubs, open forests; 1500--4100 m. S Xizang [Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Kashmir, N Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sikkim]