Japan Flora: Rhizomes short; scape slender, declined above after flowering, 15-20 cm. long, 2- or 3-leaved; radical leaves narrowly linear, 5，10 cm. long, 2-3 mm. wide, acute, more or less plicate, sulcate above toward apex; inflorescence a terminal, nodding, compound cyme, with a short bract; flowers rather numerous, solitary or few on the ultimate branches of inflorescena, the bracteoles hyaline, ciliate; perianth-segments lanceolate, acute, equal in length, about 2 mm. long, dark reddish brown; stamens 2/3 as long as the perianth, the anthers oblong, shorter than the filaments; capsule nearly as long as the peri­anth, chestnut-brown. July-Aug. Alpine, on dry, grassy slopes and rocky places.

Hokkaido, Honshu (centr. distr.).  Kuriles, Kamchatka, Siberia, Europe, and N. America.