Perennial 15-50 cm or more tall. Rhizome elongated. Stem(s) ascending, divaricate, retrorsely pubescent or glandular. Leaves suborbicular or orbicularreniform, 15-80 mm broad, palmatipartite into acute (-obtuse) lobes. Petiole of lower leaves up to 13 cm long. Stipules subulate-lanceolate, 5-7 (-9) mm long, entire, pubescent. Peduncle 3.5-13 (-17) cm long, ascending-recurved. Sepals 6-9 (-10) mm long, elliptic oblong, 3-5-nerved, pubescent or glandular; awn 1-2 mm long. Petals 14-19 mm long, obovate, lilac-rose or sometimes white, claw ciliate. Beak 16-24 mm long. Mericarps pubescent or pubescent-glandular. Seed 2.5 mm long, oblong, minutely reticulate, brownish black.

Fl. Per.: July-August.

Type: Described from Siberia.

Distribution: C. & S. Russia, W. Siberia, Romania, Turkey, Iran, Caucasus, C. Asia, Afghanistan, N.W. Himalaya.

A polymorphic species with an unusual amount of variability in the plant and leaf size, shape, incision and the degree of pubescence. This variability has also been mentioned by several other authors such as Bobrov (l.c. 4243), Schönbeck-Temesy (l.c. 22) etc.

There is some difference of opinion as to petal colour. Knuth (l.c.) states it to be violet-purplish or violet-rose to sometimes white (Schönbeck-Temesy, l.c.), Bobrov, (l.c. 43-44) mentioned the colour as pink. In the Flora of Turkey (l.c. p. 467) and Flora Europea (l.c. p. 197) the colour mentioned is lilac or lilac-pink. Usually found along irrigation ditches or damp places from 2800-4800 m.