Plants perennial, scapose, variably glaucous, from elongate, stout rhizomes. Leaves (10-)15-25(-30) × (5-)8-12(-18) cm; blade with 3-4 orders of leaflets and lobes; penultimate lobes oblong, distal usually coarsely 3-toothed at apex, (3-)6-12(-20) × 1.5-4 mm. Inflorescences paniculate, 2-20-flowered, shorter than to exceeding leaves; bracts linear-lanceolate, 4-7(-10) × 1-1.5 mm, apex acuminate. Flowers pendent; sepals ovate to acuminate-lanceolate, (3-)6-7(-12) × 1-3 mm; petals white to pale yellow or rose-tinted; outer petals 12-18 × 2-4 mm, reflexed portion 3-5 mm; inner petals 11-17 mm, blade 2.5-3.5 mm, claw linear-elliptic to linear-lanceolate, 6-9 × 1-2 mm, crest 1-2 mm diam., exceeding apex by 1-2 mm; filaments of each bundle connate from base to shortly below anthers except for a 2-6 mm portion of median filament just above base, distinct portion of median filament forming angular loop that projects into base of outer petal; nectariferous tissue borne along loop; style 4-7 mm; stigma rhomboid, 2-horned. Capsules oblong, (10-)13-16(-20) × 4-5 mm. Seeds reniform, ca. 2 mm diam., finely reticulate, elaiosome present. 2 n = 16.

Flowering early-late summer. High meadows, in gravelly soils; of conservation concern; 2100-3300 m; Calif. (Tulare County).

In Dicentra nevadensis the median filament of each stamen bundle bends out in an angular loop between the base and midpoint; in D . formosa the median filaments lack such loops. Also, the flowers of D . nevadensis are smaller and narrower than those of D . formosa . Pressed flowers of D . nevadensis often turn black, suggesting possible chemical differences, other than in alkaloids, from D . formosa .