Herbs, perennial, glaucous, 5-17 cm tall, glabrous. Rhizome slender, 2-3 mm in diam. (fresh branches ca. 1 mm in diam.), sparsely set with scales, terminating in a thicker 10-30 × ca. 5 mm part with dense scales and petiolar remnants, emitting long fleshy roots 1-2 mm in diam., apically with 2-sided rosette of leaves. Stems 1-3, ascending, simple, with 1-3 leaves. Basal leaves equal to stem or slightly shorter; petiole ca. equal to blade, with long and broad basal sheath; blade triangular, 3-7 × 2-5 cm, bipinnate or tripinnate; pinnae shortly stalked, 3 or 4 pairs; lower pinnae with 2 or 3 pairs of sessile pinnules; ultimate leaflets deeply biternatisect into lanceolate crowded segments 2-5 × 0.5-2 mm, often with reflexed margin. Cauline leaves similar to basal ones but smaller. Raceme subcapitate, 2-5 cm, 6-20-flowered; bracts shallowly to deeply palmatisect to biternatisect into lanceolate acute lobes, 10-15 mm, upward smaller and less divided. Pedicel erect, 6-20 mm. Sepals 2-2.5 × 1-1.5 mm, dentate. Corolla pale blue, often with pinkish suffusion toward spur; inner petals (except dorsal crest) dark purple at apex; outer petals with broad subacute undulate limb, crest 2.5-3 mm wide, overtopping apex; upper petal 21-25 mm; spur broad, slightly tapering to obtuse apex (Balang Shan) or cylindric and downcurved (Kangding), 8-10 mm; nectary ca. 1/3 as long as spur; inner petals 12-14 mm. Stigma square; marginal papillae: 2 median distinct, lateral broad, indistinct; geminate papillae lateral and in basal corners. Capsule pendent from erect pedicel, fusiform, 12-15 × 3-4 mm, with prominent pale thick veins, explosively dehiscent, 10-16-seeded; style 3-4 mm. Seeds in 2 rows, ovoid, ca. 1.5 mm, smooth, with small elaiosome. Fl. and fr. Jul-Aug.
Home