Plants 4--6 cm tall. Bulb ovoid, 3--5 mm in diam.; tunic brown, papery, not surrounded by roots; bulbels occasionally present. Stem gray-white pubescent. Leaves basal and cauline; basal leaves 2, usually narrowly linear, 3--8 cm × 1--2 mm, keeled abaxially; cauline leaves 3--5, narrowly linear-lanceolate, proximal 1 or 2 each with a globose bulblet in axil. Inflorescence 1-or 2-flowered. Tepals orange-yellow adaxially, dark purple abaxially, narrowly elliptic, 8--12 × 3--4 mm. Stamens 6--9 mm; filaments 5--7 mm; anthers oblong, 1/4--1/3 as long as filaments. Style equaling or slightly longer than ovary; stigma capitate. Seeds flat. Fl. and fr. Apr--May.