Annual or biennial, erect, up to 60 cm or more tall, pubescent-glandular. Leaves trisect, 30-40 x 30-75 mm, 3-5-angled; segments pinnatipartite, lobulate; lobules obtuse, mucronate, sparsely pilose; petiole 1.8-44 cm long, pubescent villous; stipules 2-3 mm long, broadly ovate, subacuminate. Peduncles 2-flowered, glandular or villous. Sepals 5-7 mm long, ovate or oblong-ovate, villous-glandular, awn c. 2 mm long. Petals c. twice as long as sepals, 3-nerved, reddish-pink, limb obovate, tapering towards the base. Beak 8-11 mm long, glabrous. Mericarps glabrous. Seed 2 mm long, elliptic-oblong, reddish-brown, umbo slightly projecting, black.

Fl. Per.: May-June.

Type: Described from N. Europe, Herb. Cliff. (BM); H.G. LINN. 858/70.

Distribution: N. America, Canary Islands, C. & S. Europe, Turkey, Iran, Caucasus, Siberia, C. Asia and W. Himalayas.

A strong scented herb with swollen nodes and reddish-pink flowers, growing in shade and wet places from 1800-2900 m. Plant parts are medicinal, containing a bitter substance, geranin, which is used as an astringent and for application on tumours and ulcers.