Plant 5-35 cm tall. Rhizome thick, with dense long and slender fibrous roots. Stem solitary or 2-3, glabrous to sparsely pubescent. Radical leaves suborbiculate, reniform or ovate, 2.5-7(-12) cm x 1.4-4(-10) cm, crenate, pilose; petiole 2.5-3(-7) cm, slender; cauline leaves similar but smaller, sessile. Flowers in compact corymbose heads or lax dichasial cymes. Upper bracts lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, c. 3 mm long. Stigma 2-fid. Achene glabrous, equal to or shorter than the bracts.

Fl. Per.: April June.

Type locality: Described from the Himalayas.

Distribution: Temperate Himalayas, from Kashmir to Kumaon.

Fairly common in temperate forests from Swat eastward, from 2300-4500 m, often replacing Valeriana jatamansi at higher levels, from which it differs in the usually pyroliform to reniform or suborbiculate leaves and the glabrous fruit. The leaves are also of a darker colour.