A robust annual herb, (20-) 30-100 (-120) cm tall, apparently glabrous, glaucous, rarely branched. Leaves ovate-oblong, cordate-amplexicaul except the lowest which usually narrows into a short stalk, undulate, serrate, crenate or dentate, often with larger teeth alternating with smaller ones, (sometimes pinnatipartite or pinnatifid), usually 5-15 cm long. Peduncle (5-) 10-20 (-25) cm long, glabrous or sparsely bristly. Flower bud ovoid-oblong, (10-) 15-25 (-30) mm long. Flowers large, showy, usually 5-10 cm in diam., white, pinkish or reddish, rarely pale violet, with or without a basal dark blotch. Sepals glabrous, caducous, as large as the bud. Petals about twice as long as the sepals, obovate-orbicular, with margin usually wavy or variously cut, caducous. Stamens as long as the ovary with, usually yellowish filaments; anthers 2-4 mm long, oblong-linear. Capsule subglabrous smooth with a rounded base often abruptly ending into a very short stipe (1-2 mm long); stigmatic disk somewhat shorter than the capsule breadth, with deeply cut marginal lobes and usually 8-12 (-18) stigma rays, not quite reaching the edges of the lobes; seeds small, white, dark-grey to black.