Plants biennial, 0.5–1.5 m. Root short-conic, branched. Stem often single, thinly ribbed, branched above. Basal and lower leaves petiolate, petioles widening into narrow-ovate sheaths, ca. 5 cm, glabrous, rarely sparse-pubescent abaxially; blade ovate to long-ovate, pinnate or 1–2-ternate-pinnate, pinnae 3–9 pairs; basal pinnae short-petiolulate, 2–3-lobed, the terminal 3-lobed; ultimate segments lanceolate to oblong, 4–9 × 0.8–3 cm, base conspicuously decurrent, margin white-cartilaginous, serrate, apex acute, glabrous or scabrous along midrib. Umbels 3–8 cm across; peduncles 2–6 cm, scabrous; bracts absent; rays 7–14; bracteoles 2–4, linear, scarious-margined, glabrous; umbellules 10–25-flowered. Calyx teeth obsolete. Petals white and ovate. Fruit ellipsoid to ovoid, 2.5–4 × 2–3 mm; dorsal ribs prominent, lateral ribs narrow-winged; vittae black-brown, 1–2 in each furrow, 4 on commissure. Fl. Aug–Sep, fr. Sep–Oct.

The roots have reputed medicinal value.

Forest margins, shrubby thickets, slopes, grasslands; 300–1000 m. Anhui, Jiangsu, Jilin, Liaoning [Japan, Korea].