Herbs annual. Stems ca. 30 cm, sparsely appressed puberulent, branched. Basal leaves 3--5; petiole 1.6--6 cm, sparsely puberulent; blade 3-lobed, 3-partite, or 3-sect, obovate or broadly rhombic, 1.5--3.5 × 1.5--4 cm, papery, sparsely appressed puberulent, base cuneate or broadly cuneate, lobes narrowly cuneate, 2- or 3-dentate at apex. Stem leaves petiolate or sessile, 1- or 2-ternate, ultimate lobes narrowly cuneate or linear-lanceolate. Flowers leaf-opposed, ca. 1 cm in diam. Pedicel 2--4 cm, appressed puberulent. Receptacle puberulent. Sepals 5, narrowly ovate, ca. 5 mm, abaxially appressed puberulent. Petals 5, obovate, ca. 5 × 3.8 mm, nectary pit covered by a scale, apex rounded. Stamens numerous. Aggregate fruit subglobose, ca. 1.2 cm in diam. Achene complanate, elliptic, ca. 5 × 3.5 mm, glabrous, spiny, spines up to 2 mm; style persistent, ca. 2.6 mm. Fl. Apr--May.

Naturalized in sandy places along roads. Anhui, Hubei [native to W Asia and Europe].