Herbs perennial, caespitose, monoecious or dioecious. Rhizomes woody, thick. Stems pale brownish and purplish, simple or branched, cylindric basally, somewhat 4-angled apically, 10-50 cm tall, sparsely puberulent and densely armed with stinging hairs; internodes compact. Stipules free, reflexed, oblong or oblong-ovate, 2-4 mm, ciliate; petiole 0.2-0.5(-1.6) cm, puberulent, with stinging hairs; leaf blade green-blue when dry, ovate or cordate, 1.5-7 × 1-5 cm, 3(-5)-veined, lateral basal veins arcuate, reaching distal margin and anastomosing, impressed adaxially, prominent abaxially, both surfaces with stinging and puberulent hairs, base cordate, margin 6-11-dentate, apex acute or short acuminate; cystoliths punctiform, conspicuous adaxially. Inflorescences unisexual, male ones in proximal axils, short spicate or in clusters, 1-2.5 cm. Male flowers long pedicellate, in bud ca. 1.3 mm, perianth lobes connate 1/2 of length, hirtellous. Female flowers: perianth lobes connate at base, membranous, unequal, dorsal-ventral lobes much larger, suborbicular, 3-5 mm, 2 times as long as achene, setulose and sometimes with 1 or 2 stinging hairs on ribs, lateral lobes ovate, 8-10 times as short as dorsal ones. Achene pale gray, oblong-ovoid, compressed, ca. 2 mm, smooth, invested by persistent perianth lobes. Fl. Jun-Jul, fr. Aug-Sep.

The invalidly published “Urtica kunlunshanica” Chang Y. Yang (Claves Pl. Xinjiang. 2: 84. 1982) belongs here.

Alpine meadows, thickets, crevices; 3000-5200 m. S Gansu, Qinghai, NW Sichuan, S Xinjiang, Xizang [Sikkim].