Herbs, perennial, 15-30(-40) cm tall, glabrous; stems and petioles of radical leaves attenuate to filiform underground base. Storage roots almost linear, 10-40 × 0.5-1 mm; thin stolons sometimes present, with or without axillary storage roots. Stems 1-3, straight, slender, simple, with (1 or)2 or 3 leaves in upper 1/2. Radical leaves 2-8; petiole 3-9 cm; blade orbicular, 1.5-3 cm, ternate to biternate; leaflets entire to deeply cut into obovate-obtuse to oblong lobes 5-17 × 2-8 mm. Cauline leaves sessile; blade glaucous abaxially, palmatisect to base into 5-9 oblanceolate to narrowly oblong segments 10-30(-45) × 1.5-5 mm. Raceme 3-6(-10) cm, densely (5-)10-30-flowered, at fruiting extended; bracts 6-12 mm, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, entire, or lowermost sometimes divided. Pedicel erect, straight, 7-11(-20) mm at anthesis, 10-20 mm in fruit. Sepals minute. Corolla yellow, cream, blue, or purple; upper petal 12-19 mm, margin broadly spreading, usually dentate, apex obtuse, often shortly mucronate; dorsal crest very variable (see subspecies); spur upwardly reflexed, cylindric, 5-10 mm, thick; nectary 1/3-2/3 as long as spur; lower petal 9-12 mm, with short claw and broad obtuse usually dentate limb 5-8 mm wide; apex obtuse or mucronate, dorsal crest present or absent; inner petals 7-11 mm, dorsal crest broad, clearly overtopping apex. Stigma didymous, cleft to middle, each 1/2 with 3 distinct marginal papillae; geminate papillae submarginal on rounded basal lobes. Capsule pendent from erect pedicel, oblong, 8-15 × 1.5-2 mm, 5-8-seeded; style 1.5-2 mm. Seeds in one row, 1-1.5 mm, smooth; caruncle small. Fl. and fr. May-Aug.
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