Herbs perennial, erect, with fleshy, elongated turions 2-3.5 cm underground that leave brown leathery basal scales. Stems 25-40 cm tall, simple or branched, strigillose throughout with scattered glandular hairs above and faint raised strigillose lines decurrent from margins of petioles. Petiole 1-4(-6) mm; cauline leaf blade elliptic to elliptic-oblong, 1.5-4 × 0.5-1.5 cm, subglabrous except for strigillose veins and margin, subleathery, base cuneate to broadly so, margin obscurely serrulate with 5-18 teeth per side, apex subobtuse or acute. Inflorescence and flowers erect. Sepals 4-5 mm, keeled. Petals pink to rose-purple, 6-7.5 mm. Stigma capitate, entire. Capsule 3-7 cm, sparsely strigillose; pedicels 0.5-1.5 cm. Seeds brown, 1.1-1.4 mm, finely papillose, with short chalazal collar; coma dingy white, detaching easily. Fl. May-Jul(-Aug), fr. Jun-Aug(-Oct). 2n = 36*.