Herbs perennial, probably with a densely branched rootstock crowned by dense remnants of dead leaves and cataphylls. Sterile rosette leaves with petiole 5--6 cm; leaf blade obovate, gradually narrowed into petiole, 3(--4) × 1.5--2 cm, apex subobtuse to acuminate. Stems erect or ascending, 10--15 cm. Cauline leaves in 2 pairs, sessile, broadly ovate, ca. 3.5 × 2.5 cm, apex acute. Inflorescence a dense thyrse consisting of a terminal dichasium and stalked (stalk ca. 2 cm) lateral dichasia, each dichasium 3--5-flowered; bracts gradually narrowed toward apex, 6--12 × 2--3 mm, herbaceous. Pedicel 3--4 mm, that of basal (first) flower to 1 cm. Lateral (later) flowers in dichasium apparently functionally male (an extremely rare condition in Silene). Calyx 1--1.2 cm × ca. 5 mm, expanding to 1--1.3 cm wide at late anthesis, divided to ca. 1/3 into triangular teeth acute at apex. Androgynophore ca. 3 mm, densely woolly. Petal claws exserted beyond calyx by 1--2 mm, with orbicular auricles; limb oblong, ca. 3 mm, deeply bifid, usually with 2 pairs of lateral teeth; coronal scales short, dentate. Stamens exserted. Styles 5, included or exserted. Seeds (immature) with long, spiny papillae abaxially.

This species is not similar to any other Chinese species of Silene. A peculiar feature of the type specimen is that only the alar (apical or first) flower is bisexual, whereas the other (later) flowers appear to be functionally male. Although gynomonoecy is a widespread phenomenon in Silene, andromonoecy is not. Silene tibetica is possibly related to the S. indica group, which is in urgent need of revision. The regular nature of the inflorescence is deviating.

* About 3000 m. SW Xizang (Zanda Xian).