Hairless, tuberous-rooted plant up to 10 cm in height. Flowers yellow 20-30 mm with 6 sepals. Has 3 stalk-less bract-like leaves below the flower looking like a ruffe.

Wood and scrub on rich humus like soils.

End January to early March.

Perennial.

Not particularly common in Britain where most records come from England south of the Midlands and from the eastern coast.

Occasional in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 18 of the 617 tetrads.