Herbs perennial, with a long stock formed by overlapping petioles and basal bud scales, with fibrous remains of leaves at base. Leaves forming a rosette; petiole broadly winged, portion exserted from basal bud scales very short to nearly as long as leaf blade; leaf blade lanceolate to oblanceolate, 4--25 X 0.5--4.5 cm, abaxially farinose, base cuneate-attenuate, margin entire to denticulate, usually narrowly revolute, apex acute to obtuse. Scape 10--25 cm, farinose toward apex; umbels 5- to many flowered; bracts lanceolate, 1--3.5 cm. Pedicel 1--3 cm, ± farinose. Flowers heterostylous. Calyx tubular, 0.8--1.5 cm, parted slightly below middle or to 3/4; lobes lanceolate to oblong, usually stained with purple outside, white farinose inside, apex acute to subobtuse. Corolla violet to purple; limb ca. 2 cm wide; lobes suborbicular to obovate, margin entire to emarginate. Pin flowers: corolla tube slightly longer than calyx; stamens ca. 4 mm above base of corolla tube; style ca. as long as calyx. Thrum flowers: corolla tube ca. 1.5 X as long as calyx; stamens at upper 1/3 of corolla tube; style ca. 1/2 as long as calyx. Capsule cylindric, 1--1.3 cm, ca. 2 X as long as calyx. 2n = 22.

Grassy mountain slopes, in rock crevices, wet meadows, marshes; 4000--5200 m. SW Xinjiang, Xizang [Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Kashmir, Nepal, Pakistan, Sikkim]