Small rather delicate plant with apparently us. simple crown. Lvs few, pinnate (2 pairs), up to ± 20 cm. long. Sheath c. 30 × 8 mm., ribbed and dilated in lower part, smooth and narrow in upper. Stipules 10-20 mm. long, acicular. Petioles 25-35 mm. long, smooth. Pinnae up to 45 × 3 mm., smooth, acicular, occ. bearing accessory pinnules. Stems of male plants slender, striate, up to 22c m. × 2 mm. (including infl.) Panicle open; bracts ± 8, distant, with thin sheaths c. 20-25 × 5-7 mm. Bract-stipules 5-6 mm. long, acicular. Laminae of lower bracts 3-5-foliolate, of upper l-foliolate. Umbels on long peduncles, bracteoles linear, exceeding rays. Plants with ♀ not seen.

Smaller than var. montana with leaf rosettes up to c. 5 per plant, leaves up to 230 mm long and female inflorescences up to 400 mm high. Usually 2 pairs of leaflets.