Herbs perennial, erect, with leafy basal soboles, elongated rosettes, or rarely fleshy stolons. Stems (10-)20-150 cm tall, simple or branched, densely strigillose, often mixed with glandular hairs on upper parts, with 2(or 4) ± distinct raised strigillose lines decurrent from margins of petioles, or rarely subglabrous throughout. Leaves subsessile or petioles 1-6 mm; cauline blade ovate to narrowly so, or rarely lanceolate-oblong, 2-9.5 × 0.5-2.5 cm, subglabrous with strigillose margin and veins, base rounded or cuneate, margin serrulate or denticulate with 6-35 teeth per side, apex acute or acuminate. Inflorescence and flowers erect to slightly nodding. Sepals 3.5-6 mm, often keeled. Petals white, pink or rose-purple, 4.5-8(-10) mm. Stigma capitate or broadly capitate, entire. Capsules 1.5-7 cm, sparsely strigillose or rarely glabrous; pedicels 0.3-1.3 cm. Seeds brown, 0.8-1 mm, coarsely papillose, with short chalazal collar; coma dull white, readily detached. 2n = 36.

Moist stream banks, wet areas along streams, roadside ditches, disturbed grassy slopes and moist areas in mountains; 600-4200 m. Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Bhutan, India, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia (Far East, Kamchatka)].