Herbs, perennial, 30-90 cm tall. Rhizomes horizontal, slightly ascending. Stems erect, scaberulose. Basal leaves rosulate, 3-8 cm, long petiolate, pinnatifid to pinnatisect; segments 1-4-paired, ovate-orbicular; terminal segment usually larger, ovate to ovate-lanceolate; cauline leaves in whorls of 3, pinnatisect; segments 1-4-paired; terminal segment larger, ovate or lanceolate, 3-7 × 1-5 cm, sparsely scaberulose, base cuneate, apex acuminate, margin crenulate; upper cauline leaves subsessile. Inflorescence corymbiform, lateral branches in 3-7 pairs, scaberulose; involucral bracts with 1 or 2 pairs of linear segments. Calyx small, 5-lobed; lobes inconspicuous, 0.1-0.3 mm. Corolla campanulate, 3-5 mm, outside scaberulose, inside glabrous; tube 1.8-3 mm; lobes 5, 0.8-1.5 × ca. 1 mm. Stamens 4, longer filaments ca. 3 mm, shorter filaments ca. 2 mm, glabrous or scaberulose. Ovary obovoid, ca. 1 mm; style 2.3-2.7 mm; stigma truncate-capitate. Achenes oblong; bracteoles ovate, 2-veined, rarely 3-veined, shallowly 3-lobed. Fl. and fr. Jul-Aug.