Shrubs to 1.8 m tall, glabrous throughout. Stems gray-black, peeling off in flakes; young shoots purple-red. Proximal leaves 3(or 4) times compound (1st and 3rd divisions ternate, 2nd division pinnate), with (30--)35--65 leaflets; terminal leaflets elliptic to ovate-orbicular, 2.5--6.5 × 1.2--4.5 cm, 3-partite to base or 3-fid, terminal lobes 3-lobed; lateral leaflets elliptic to orbicular, 1.8--5.5 × 0.6--4.5 cm, 3-lobed or coarsely toothed. Flowers solitary, terminal, single, 10--15 cm wide. Bracts 2 or 3(--5), unequal, linear-lanceolate. Sepals 3(--5), green, broadly obovate, ca. 2.5 × 1.5--2.0 cm, apex mucronate. Petals 9--12, rose, obovate, 4--7 × 3--5 cm, apex usually 2-lobed and irregularly incised or toothed. Disc 1/2--2/3 enveloping carpels, white, papery, with triangular teeth. Carpels (2 or)3--5, green or purple, glabrous. Stigmas red. Follicles black-brown when mature, ellipsoid, 2--3 × 1.3--1.7 cm. Seeds black, glossy, broadly ellipsoid or globose, 8--10 × 6--8 mm. Fl. Apr--May, fr. Aug.

* Sparse Cupressus chengiana forests, young secondary deciduous broad-leaved forests, thickets; 2000--3100 m. NW Sichuan.