Herbs perennial, 20--45 cm tall. Roots robust, slightly lignified. Stems sparsely caespitose, rarely solitary, erect, slender, basally lignified, simple or branched at base, glabrous or with short robust hairs at base. Basal leaves clustered, linear, 3--5(--8) cm × 1--2.5 mm, glabrous, basally ciliate at margin, base attenuate, apex acuminate; cauline leaves few, small. Flowers erect, in a racemiform thyrse, with alternate, 1-flowered cymules. Bracts ovate-lanceolate, margin ciliate in lower part. Calyx tubular, 1.5--1.7 cm × ca. 2.5 mm, glabrous, slightly clavate in fruit, longitudinal veins sometimes violet; calyx teeth triangular-lanceolate. Androgynophore 5--6 mm, glabrous. Petal claws slightly exserted beyond calyx, narrowly oblanceolate, glabrous, auricle not obvious, limbs white, bifid to 2/3 of petal; lobes linear, apex obtuse; coronal scales minute. Stamens and styles exserted; filaments glabrous. Styles 3. Capsule ovoid, 8--10 mm, shorter than calyx. Seeds grayish brown, triangular-reniform, ca. 1 mm. Fl. Jul--Aug, fr. Aug. 2n = 24*.

* Mountains; 1700--2400 m. Gansu, Nei Mongol, Ningxia.