Herbs, 20-55 cm tall, glabrous; stems and radical leaves attenuate to filiform underground base. Storage roots fascicled, narrowly fusiform, clublike-thickened, 3-10 cm × 2-4 mm, distally, gradually narrowed to stalk. Stems 2 or 3, simple or branched, with 2-4 leaves above. Radical leaves few; petiole 13-27 cm (including underground part); blade glaucous on both surfaces or adaxially green, ovate, 5-10 cm, bi-(tri-)pinnate; pinnae 4-8 pairs, lower ones petiolulate, upper ones sessile; pinnules 1-3 pairs, shortly stalked to sessile, deeply 3-6-divided; ultimate segments narrowly elliptic, mucronate. Cauline leaves with lower petiole 2-6 cm, upper leaves sessile; blade ovate-triangular to oblong, 4-7 × 2-4 cm (or upper leaves smaller), like radical leaves. Raceme 3.5-7 cm, densely 15-22-flowered; bracts from short broad stalk deeply digitately cut into narrow lobes, middle ones more pectinate-dentate to pinnately 3-5-divided, upper one lanceolate with few teeth, 5-10 mm. Pedicel 5-10 mm, recurved in fruit. Sepals triangular, 1-1.5 × ca. 1.5 mm, dentate. Petals amaranth to pale bluish purple; outer petals subacute, with 1-2 mm wide obtuse crest slightly overtopping apex; upper petal navicular-ovate, 17-22 mm, subacute; spur slightly downcurved, 9-14 mm, tapering; nectary to 1/2 as long as spur; lower petal elliptic, 8-10 mm, acute; inner petals 8-9 mm. Ovary glabrous or with lines of papillae; ovules 7-9; stigma square, marginal papillae: median 2 distinct, lateral broad, confluent; geminate papillae lateral (submarginal) and on well-developed basal lobes. Fruit not seen. Fl. Jul.
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