Stout perennial herb; stems woody at the base, to 3 m tall with multiple ascending branches; leaves 1-5 cm long, rugose, with stellate hairs, 3-lobed, the lateral lobes shorter than the central lobe, and irregularly dentate; flowers numerous in elongate, leafy inflorescences; calyx segments about 5 mm long, densely pubescent; petals 5, purplish-pink, 5-10 mm long; stamens numerous, filaments united at the base; fruit a round schizocarp dividing into about 10 pie-shaped segments (carpels); carpels to 3.5 mm long lacking apical cusps and having net-like reticulations on lower portions of the side walls. Flowers July to September.