Herbs perennial, mostly scapose, 20-60 cm tall, pubescent with simple or glandular hairs. Rhizome sturdy, fleshy, elongated or not, 5-22 cm. Stems sometimes present, 10-40 cm, occasionally branched. Leaves mostly basal, sometimes on ascending stems; leaf blade obovate-oblong to oblanceolate, 3-20 cm × 1.5-5 cm, pubescent, densely ciliate, base narrow, decurrent, apex obtuse. Peduncle 1-17 cm; bracts sessile, decurrent, membraneous, apex obtuse. Flowers solitary, axillary, sometimes nodding; pedicel stout, 6-20 cm. Calyx campanulate, divided to halfway; lobes ovate to deltate. Corolla dark purple or yellow, divided halfway; lobes broadly ovate to deltate. Filaments ca. 7 mm; anthers 1.5-5 mm. Style ca. 4 mm; stigma slightly 2-lobed. Fruiting calyx becoming enlarged, campanulate, sometimes exceeding berry. Berry globose, 2-2.5 cm in diam. Seeds yellow, compressed-reniform, ca. 2 mm. Fl. May-Jul, fr. Jul-Sep.
Grassy and stony slopes, open moorland, pastures and screes. Subalpine and alpine zone, especially among Rhododendron shrubs; at elevations from 2,200-4,900 metres.
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