Bulb solitary or paired, narrowly cylindric to subconical, 1.5--2 cm in diam., attached to a horizontal or oblique, stout rhizome; tunic blackish, membranous, ± entire. Leaves broadly linear, subfalcate, ca. 1/2 as long as scape, 6--10(--15) mm wide, flat, thick, smooth, apex obtuse. Scape 30--60 cm, 2-angled, narrowly 2-winged, covered with leaf sheaths only at base. Spathe 2-valved, persistent. Umbel globose, densely many flowered. Pedicels subequal, 2--3 × as long as perianth, bracteolate. Perianth pale red to pale purple; outer segments narrowly ovate, boat-shaped, 4.5--5.5 × 1.5--2 mm; inner ones ovate, 5--6.5 × 2.2--3 mm, apex obtuse. Filaments subequal, 1.5--2 × as long as perianth segments, connate at base and adnate to perianth segments; outer ones subulate; inner ones broadened at base for 2.5--3 mm, 1-toothed on each side. Ovary oblong-globose, without concave nectaries at base. Style exserted. Fl. and fr. Jun--Aug. 2 n = 16, 17, 24, 28, 32*, 44, 48*, 56, 64*, 72*.

Meadows, damp places. N Xinjiang (Altay Shan) [Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia].