Perennial of the Geraniaceae family, this subspecies is endemic to the Pyrenees, mainly on the Spanish side and the central areas of the massif. It colonizes rock fissures, scree, and rocky calcareous or siliceous lawns, between approximately 1,000 and 2,000 meters in altitude.
The plant forms a low, dense tuft 15 to 30 cm in height when in flower. The foliage is finely pinnatisect, with very cut leaflets, a dark velvety green, slightly glandular to the touch, which is reflected in the name of the subspecies. The slender, upright floral stems bear small umbels of two to several flowers.
The flowers are among the most elaborate of the genus in Europe: a white-pink to pale lilac background, entirely traversed by fine purple veins, with the two upper petals bearing a large dark purple almost black spot, strongly veined. This network of veins on a light background gives each flower an almost graphic appearance, very different from erodiums with solid-colored flowers. In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from June to August.
In cultivation, it requires a very well-drained, mineral soil, in full sun, with winter protection against stagnant moisture. It is particularly advantageous in limestone rock gardens or in elevated alpine troughs.