Herbs perennial, 15--30 cm tall, drying black. Rootstock to 30 cm, ± fleshy. Stems single to several and clustered, slightly pubescent. Basal leaf petiole to 5.5 cm; leaf blade linear-lanceolate, 2.5--18 X 0.3--2 cm, pinnatilobate; segments 9--28 pairs, triangular-ovate, glabrous except adaxially hispidulous along midvein, margin double dentate. Stem leaves few or absent. Inflorescences to 20 cm; bracts leaflike. Calyx cylindric, ca. 1.1 cm, sparsely pubescent or subglabrous, deeply cleft anteriorly, 3-lobed; posterior lobe smaller, subulate, entire, others larger and serrate. Corolla tube 1.3--1.5 cm, subglabrous; galea margin glabrous; beak to 1.7 cm; lower lip to 1.8 X 2.3 cm. 2 filaments pubescent, 2 glabrous. Capsule triangular-lanceolate, to 2 cm. Fl. Jul--Aug. fr. Aug.

* Alpine Quercus scrubs, mossy Rhododendron scrubs; 3900--4000 m. NW Sichuan.