Stems 1-3, 3-5 cm, with 1 leaf near base. Basal leaves 7-9, forming a rosette; petiole ca. 0.5 × 1 cm; leaf blade abaxially greenish, adaxially deep green, ovate-triangular, 0.8-1.4 cm × 6-9 mm, conspicuously brown 3-5-veined abaxially, base attenuate, apex acuminate. Cauline leaf similar to basal ones but often smaller, base sometimes with a few caducous, rusty brown appendages. Flower ca. 1 cm in diam.; hypanthium inconspicuous. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, 3.5-4 × ca. 1.8 mm, conspicuously 3-veined, margin entire, apex obtuse. Petals white, indistinctly punctate, elliptic or oblong, 6-7 × ca. 2 mm, 3-veined, base with a short claw ca. 1 × 0.8 mm, margin sparsely fimbriate proximally, erose or subentire distally, apex acute. Anthers subglobose, 0.5-1 mm; filaments ca. 2.5 mm; staminodes terete, discoid, ca. 2 mm, shorter than stamens, stalk ca. 1.2 × 0.5 mm, lamina ca. 0.8 × 1.2 mm. Ovary superior. Capsule unknown. Fl. Jul.

In habit, this species resembles both Parnassia angustipetala and P. yunnanensis. However, the former species differs in having basal leaf blades usually ovate-cordate, with a cordate, sometimes subtruncate base, and petals green, densely purple-brown punctate, spatulate or ovate-oblanceolate. The latter species differs in having basal leaf blades broadly ovate, with a deeply cordate base, and petals white or whitish green, often densely purple-brown punctate, obovate-oblong.

* Riverside meadows; ca. 5000 m. EC Xizang (Amdo Xian).