Herbs, perennial. Tuber like a small potato, 2-6 cm. Stems ascending or erect, 10-25 cm, simple, with 2 opposite leaves. Leaves sessile, biternate to triternate; ultimate leaflets very unequal in size, broadly ovate to elliptic, terminal one ca. 2.5 × 2 cm, lateral ones smaller. Raceme longer than leaves, 4-10(-14)-flowered; bracts elliptic to obovate, margin entire, apex ± mucronate. Pedicels 3-9 mm, shorter than bracts, at fruiting ± erect. Flowers with dark lavender apex and pink or nearly white spur, rarely red-purple or nearly white. Sepals minute. Outer petals narrowly acute to acuminate; upper petal 16-27 mm; spur 10-15 mm, often upwardly curved, near end often ± inflated, rarely slender and straight; nectary extended through ca. 2/3 of spur (other species in section with longer nectaries); lower petal strongly reflexed; inner petals 10-14 mm. Capsule erect, elliptic, ca. 10-15 × 5-6 mm. Seeds in 2 rows, 2-2.5 mm; caruncle thick, rounded, closely capping seed. Fl. and fr. Mar-May.
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