Herb, 4-16 cm tall, erect. Stem glabrous to very sparsely brown villous. Leaves 7-15 mm long, lanceolate, sub-acute, bases shearing, petiolate; cauline leaves sessile, elliptic, decreasing in size upwards, glabrous, sparsely hairy at the base. Flowers solitary, rarely 2. Pedicels brown-villous. Sepals 3-6 mm long, ovate-oblong, margin brown-villous. Petals 7-11 mm long, broadly oblong, yellow, base sprinkled orange. Styles very short.

Fl.Per.: Aug.-Sept.

Lectotype: Tibet Occ.,alt.15-17000', Thomson(K).

Usually grows in moist and wet places. In Pakistan found in Baltistan, Kashmir and Chitral areas from 4000-4450 m.

Can be distinguished from the type variety by its usually solitary flowers and by the petals being only twice the length of the sepals.