Biennial, with paired tubers. Stem erect or ascending 10-40(-60) cm high, terete, glabrous below, crispate, crispulate-pubescent above, single or branched in the upper part. Leaves mostly sub-basal, forming ros ettes, with long petioles, orbicular-tru ncate or obovate, incised-dentate to laciniate, lobes narrowly linear, subentire, stem-leaves lacking or a few, similar to the basal leaves, but smaller and with shorter petioles, uppermost strongly reduced, composed of 2-3 obtuse lobes. Inflorescence few-flowered, lax, short, rarely elongate with a few branches. Lower bracts 3-5-partite, upper ones undivided, linear, entire. Lower pedicels up to 2 cm, upper shorter. Bracteoles absent or very small. Sepals pale or purple-blue or variegated, densely or sparsely pubescent, helmet 12-20 mm high, 15-25 mm long, 4-7 mm wide in the upper part, ± rostrate, lateral sepals obovate or suborbicular, c.15 x 10-13 mm, lower sepals deflexed, oblong-elliptical to oblong, up to 8 mm. Petals (nectaries) with a long (12-15 mm) claw, hood narrow, ± cylindrical, bilabiate at apex. Filaments ± winged, sparingly hairy. Carpels usually 5 rarely 4 or 6, woolly. Follicles 9-13 mm. softly hairy. Seeds obpyramidate, 2.5-3 mm long, irregularly winged.

Fl. Per.: August-September.

Type: Banks of the Sarkhan river, Ala-Tau, Karelin & Kirilov s.n. (LE).

A-7 Gilgit: Naltar, Sept. 1960, McVean s.n. (RAW), Anesarbar, 3900-4900 m, F. Schmid 2254 (RAW), B-8 Baltistan: above Skardu, W. Koelz 9637 (RAW), Satpura nala, 13-14,000', R.R. Stewart 20233 (RAW), Shigar nala, fls. green-yellow, veined blue, W. Koelz 9728 (RAW), Thalle la, R.R. Stewart 20662 (RAW).

Distribution: Widespread from C. Asiatic provinces of the USSR (Tien Shan, Dzungaria) to the W. Himalaya and Chitral.

Found from 3300-5300 m usually in drier areas.