Herbs perennial, 20--25 cm tall. Roots cylindric, multicrowned. Stems sparsely caespitose, ascending, simple, shortly villous. Basal leaves oblanceolate, 4--7 cm × 5--10 mm, glabrous, margin ciliate, midvein prominent, base attenuate into long petiole, apex acute; cauline leaves lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, small. Cymes few flowered; flowers slightly nutant. Pedicel 2--4 mm, villous with curved hairs; bracts ovate-elliptic, herbaceous, shortly villous. Calyx reddish, campanulate, 1.2--1.5 cm × ca. 6 mm, base rounded; longitudinal veins violet, cohering at apex, multicellular glandular hairy; calyx teeth nearly semirounded, margin membranous, ciliate, apex acute. Androgynophore ca. 1.5 mm, glabrous. Petals dark violet, 1.5--2 cm; claws oblanceolate, glabrous, with auricles; limbs exserted beyond calyx, broadly obovate, deeply 4-lobed; medial lobes narrowly elliptic, sometimes toothed or shallowly bifid; lateral lobes spreading, linear; coronal scales subsquarrose, laciniate. Stamens included; filaments glabrous. Styles included. Capsule ovoid, 8--10 mm, shorter than calyx. Seeds ca. 2.5 mm, winged. Fl. Aug--Sep, fr. Sep--Oct.