Herbs perennial, 75–120 cm tall. Rootstock robust, terete. Stems subglabrous. Lower cauline leaves: stipules semiorbicular, margin incised serrate; petiole sparsely pilose; leaf blade with 3–5 pairs of leaflets; petiolules 0.5–2.5 cm; leaflets green on both surfaces, ovate, elliptic, or oblong, 1.5–5 × 1–4 cm, both surfaces glabrous or abaxially densely villous, base cordate, margin coarsely dentate, apex rounded, rarely truncate; upper cauline leaves: leaflets narrowly oblong, base truncate to broadly cuneate. Inflorescences spicate, long cylindric, 4–7.5 × 0.6–1 cm; bracts elliptic-ovate, abaxially pubescent. Sepals pale pink or white, elliptic. Stamens 4; filaments gradually compressed-dilated distally, ca. 2 × as long as sepals, as broad as anther. Style filiform; stigma dilated, discoidal, papillate. Fl. and fr. Jul–Oct.

Thinned forests, marshy banks of ravines and streams; 100--500 m. Hebei, Jiangsu, Shandong.