Herbs, perennial, gray-glaucous, 3-8 cm above scree surface (5-20 cm below), glabrous; stems attenuate to thin underground base. Rhizome obvious, vertical, to 2 cm; storage roots fasciculate, tapering distally, 3-9 cm × 1.5-5 mm. Bulb prominent, 1-2 × 1-2 cm, of several pale fleshy scales. Stems 2-5, usually with 2 subopposite (rarely opposite) leaves. Radical leaves 2-5; petiole 4-10(-15) cm; blade at scree surface, gray-glaucous, sometimes with small dark spots, ovate-oblong (rarely triangular), 2-5 × 1-3 cm, fleshy, pinnate with 2 or 3 pairs of pinnae; inner pinnae stalked to subsessile, twice to often 3 × ternatisect or subternate; ultimate lobes 35-70, obovate to oblong, (0.5-)1-3(-4) mm wide, obtuse. Cauline leaves shortly petiolate to subsessile, like radical but more triangular in outline and usually less divided. Raceme corymbose, 4-10(-15)-flowered, 1-3 cm, elongating or not in fruit; bracts obtriangular, 8-17 mm, base cuneate, apically deeply 4-12-divided, lobes narrowly oblanceolate. Pedicel in flower 5-20 mm, in fruit erect, (5-)10-20(-30) mm. Sepals orbicular, 1.5-2 × 1.5-2 mm, finely and rather deeply circumdentate. Corolla blue or white with blue apical parts, inner petals darker at tip; upper petal 18-25 mm, ovate, mucronate, crest 1-2 mm wide, tapering to both ends, entire, slightly overtopping apex, not decurrent on spur; spur arcuately downcurved (rarely almost straight), broadly cylindric, (7-)9-13(-15) mm; nectary ca. 2/3 as long as spur; lower petal (10-)11-13 mm, like upper petal, claw straight to slightly and broadly saccate; inner petals 8-11 mm. Stigma broader than long, slightly emarginate, with 4(-6) marginal rather broad papillae, median distinct, lateral broader and diffuse; geminate papillae lateral and in basal corners; basal lobes poorly developed. Capsule pendent from erect stout pedicel, broadly oblong to obovoid, 5-9 × 3-4 mm, 3-9-seeded; style 3-3.5 mm. Seeds 1.3-1.4 mm, smooth, with small elaiosome. Fl. and fr. (Jun-)Jul-Sep.
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