Bulbs clustered, narrowly ovoid-cylindric to narrowly conical, 0.5--0.6(--1) cm in diam.; tunic grayish brown or gray, slightly tinged with red, membranous to thinly scarious, entire or splitting at apex. Leaves 3--5, usually shorter than scape, ca. 0.5 mm wide, slender, subterete, adaxially channeled. Scape 5--20 cm, terete, covered with leaf sheaths for ca. 1/4 its length. Spathe 2-valved, persistent; beak equaling limb. Umbel laxly few flowered. Pedicels subequal, 2--3(--4) × as long as perianth, bracteolate. Perianth pale red to pale purple-red; segments with purple midvein; outer ones ovate-elliptic, boat-shaped, 3--4.5 × 1.2--1.8 mm, apex shortly pointed; inner ones oblong-elliptic, 3.8--5 × 1.5--2.1 mm, apex obtuse or shortly pointed. Filaments equal, slightly longer than perianth segments, rarely slightly shorter, connate at base and adnate to perianth segments. Ovary subglobose, with longitudinally convex nectaries along septa; nectary pit at ovary base open. Style exserted. Fl. Jul--Aug. 2 n = 16.

Dry stony slopes, cliffs, gravelly saline places along rivers; 700--1500 m. SW Nei Mongol (Longshou Shan), NW Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia].