Bulbs densely clustered, cylindric; tunic brownish yellow, fibrous. Leaves shorter than scape, 0.5--1 mm wide, semiterete to terete. Scape 10--30 cm, terete, covered with leaf sheaths only at base. Spathe 1-valved, persistent. Umbel hemispheric to globose, densely many flowered. Pedicels 1--2 × as long as perianth, ebracteolate. Perianth pale red or pale purple-red to purple-red; segments ovate-oblong, 6--9 × 3--5 mm, apex obtuse; inner ones usually slightly longer than outer. Filaments subequal, 1/2--2/3 as long as perianth segments, connate at base and adnate to perianth segments; outer ones subulate; inner ones ovate for ca. 1/2 their length. Ovary obovoid-globose, without concave nectaries at base. Style not exserted. Fl. and fr. Jul--Sep. 2 n = 16*.

Deserts, sandy places, dry slopes; 800--2800 m. Gansu, W Liaoning, Nei Mongol, N Ningxia, N Qinghai, N Shaanxi, NE Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia].