Herbs annual or biennial, (5-)12-50(-80) cm tall. Stems erect, simple or few to many branched at base, densely to sparsely tomentose with finely branched stellate trichomes, often basally hirsute with horizontal, simple or forked trichomes (0.5-)0.8-1.5(-2) mm, rarely glabrescent distally. Basal leaves rosulate, petiolate, often lyrate or pinnatifid persistent or withered by fruiting; petiole 0.5-1.5(-2.5) cm, often ciliate; leaf blade spatulate, oblanceolate, or obovate in outline, 1-6(-12) × 3-1.7(-3) cm, densely tomentose with finely branched stellate trichomes, margin coarsely dentate or rarely entire, with up to 8 lobes on each side of midvein; lateral lobes oblong or ovate, increasing in size distally, much smaller than obovate or suborbicular terminal lobe, to 1.5 × 0.8 cm, entire or dentate. Middle cauline leaves oblong, oblanceolate, or linear, sessile, 0.7-4(-7) cm × 1-10(-20) mm, pubescent as basal leaves, rarely glabrescent, base usually minutely auriculate, margin entire, coarsely dentate, or lyrate, apex acute. Racemes ebracteate, lax. Fruiting pedicels slender, straight, stellate pubescent all around or glabrous adaxially, divaricate or rarely ascending, (0.2-)0.5-1.6(-2.5) cm. Sepals green or pink, oblong, 1.5-2.5(-3) × 0.7-1 mm, densely pubescent or glabrescent, sometimes narrowly membranous. Petals purple, pink, or white, spatulate, (2-)2.5-3.5(-4.5) × 0.4-0.6 mm, attenuate to base. Filaments 2.5-3(-3.5) mm; anthers oblong, 0.3-0.6 mm. Ovules 70-150 per ovary. Fruit linear, terete or subcompressed, arcuate or straight, divaricate-to recurved or rarely ascending, (2.5-)3.5-7.5(-9.5) cm × 0.6-1 mm; valves glabrous, with an obscure or prominent midvein; style (0.2-)0.5-1(-1.5) mm. Seeds brown, oblong, 0.6-1 × 0.3-0.5 mm. Fl. Apr-Aug, fr. May-Sep. 2n = 14, 16, 18.
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