Medium to tall, often reddish plant, without stolons, stems erect with four raised lines. Produces leafy rosettes at the base during autumn. Leaves mostly opposite, oblong lanceolate, toothed. Flowers purplish pink, 8 to 9 mm, erect in bud, the petals deeply notched. Stigma club shaped. Many glandular hairs on the upper stem, sepals and parts of the fruiting structure

One of four similar species; E obscurum, E tetragonum and E roseum also have club-shaped stigma.   E tetragonum has no glandular hairs and perennates with loose leaf-rosettes.  E obscurum has few glandular hairs and perennates with leafy stolons. E roseum is very similar to E ciliatum but has longer petioles.  Hybrids also occur.

A photo showing the plant in situ, plus images showing the key features and/or a description in the comments box. A voucher specimen may be needed.

Waste ground, roadsides, cultivated land.

June to August.

Perennial.

Has spread rapidly, and is now fairly common over much of Britain except the northern half of Scotland.

Fairly common in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 191 of the 617 tetrads.