Herbs, annual, 0.2–0.7 m, not glaucous, with taproot. Stems single, erect, usually branched distally, solid, both short-stellate-puberulent and long soft bristly-hairy, hairs erect. Leaves basal, early-deciduous, and cauline; mid to distal stem stipules divided into 2–5 filiform or linear segments, involucrelike, 10+ × 1 mm; petiole (4–)6–20(–50) cm, usually 1/2 times to as long as blade; basal leaf blades orbiculate, unlobed, 1–2.5 × 1–2.5 cm, base cordate, margins crenate, apex rounded; cauline leaf blades orbiculate, palmately 5–7-lobed, (1–)2–6 × (1–)2–6 cm, lobes linear distally, sometimes 3-toothed or-lobed, then midtooth or lobe much longer than laterals, margins entire, surfaces bristly-puberulent. Inflorescences erect, dense, calyces overlapping, occasionally short-branched, clusters to 10-flowered, subumbellate to elongate in age, not 1-sided; bracts linear or filiform, palmately 2–7-lobed, 8–12 mm, lobes linear, usually becoming involucrelike, 1–2.5 cm, subequal to or longer than calyx. Pedicels 1–3 mm, (short branches may easily be mistaken for pedicels); involucellar bractlets absent. Flowers bisexual; calyx 8–12 mm, not much accrescent, lobes often with narrow purple line or spot at lobe base inside, outer surface bristly-hairy and stellate-puberulent, seldom densely glandular, multicellular hairs usually few or absent; petals dark pink to deep purple, veins often paler, darker patch sometimes at base, 20–35 mm; staminal column 4–6 mm, hairy; anthers sessile on rim, white; stigmas 5 or 6. Schizocarps 6–7 mm diam.; mericarps 5 or 6, sometimes pinkish when fresh, 2.5 mm, glabrous, back minutely hairy, back and sides reticulate-veined, back with prominent midvein, not pitted, mucro absent. Seeds 2 mm. 2n = 20.
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