Winter-annual or biennial; stems at first anthesis very short, with the lvs mostly basal, later diffusely branched, to 4 dm; lvs elongate-oblanceolate, the principal ones pinnately compound with several sessile, ovate or oblong, deeply and irregularly cleft pinnae each 1-2.5 cm; infls long-peduncled, 2-8-fld, the pedicels 1-2 mm; sep 5-7 mm, mucronate or shortly awned; pet off- pink, 5-8 mm; anther-bearing filaments without teeth; fr 2-4 cm; 2n mostly = 40 in ours. Native of the Mediterranean region, now established as a common weed throughout most of the U.S. Apr.-Sept.
Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.