Herbs 30–90 cm tall. Rhizome long, with many slender lateral roots and usually 1 to several underground buds. Stems densely yellow hirsute in lower part, densely pubescent in upper part. Stipules falcate or semiorbicular, rarely oblong, margin acutely serrate, on stipules of lower part of stem usually entire; petiole sparsely pilose and pubescent; leaf blade interrupted imparipinnate, on lower leaves usually with 3 pairs of leaflets, rarely 2 pairs with basal pair very small, on middle leaves with 2 pairs, on uppermost leaves with 1 or 2 pairs; leaflets sessile or shortly petiolulate, elliptic or rhombic-elliptic, 1.5–4 × 1–2 cm, widest at or near middle, abaxially sparsely spreading hirsute on veins, sparsely glandular punctate or inconspicuously so, adaxially appressed pilose, base broadly cuneate, margin crenate, apex usually obtuse or acute. Inflorescence usually branched, with slender branches. Flowers 4–5 mm in diam.; pedicel 1–3 mm; bract small, 3-parted; bracteoles in 1 pair, ovate, margin entire or shallowly lobed, apex shortly acuminate. Stamens 5(–10). Carpels 2, usually 1 well developed; stigma capitate. Fruiting hypanthium campanulate, 4–5 × 2–2.5 mm including prickles, abaxially 10-ribbed, sparsely pilose, with a multiseriate crown of prickles; prickles spreading. Fl. and fr. Aug–Nov.

Agrimonia nipponica var. nipponica occurs in Japan and Korea.

Thinned forests, forest margins, thickets, grassy mountain slopes, stream banks; 200--1500 m. Anhui, Guangdong, Guangxi, SE Guizhou Jiangxi, Zhejiang [Laos, Vietnam].