Perennial herb up to 30 cm tall, with erect or diffuse branching. Base woody, branching from the base or simple. Stems greenish-yellow, glabrous or pubescent, yellow gland-dotted. Leaves 9-50 x 2-17 mm, linear to oblong to lanceolate-oblong or obovate, sometimes trisect, base tapering, sub-acute, glabrous or hairy, dark gland-dotted. Corymbs spreading. Bracts small, green. Flowers pedicellate. Sepals c. 1.5 mm, oblong to deltoid-ovate, glabrous or white woolly, deciduous. Petals bright yellow, broadly oblong, c. 4 mm. Filaments c. 2 mm, free or slightly fused below, barbate at the expanded portion below. Ovary 5-locular, each locule 2-ovuled glabrous or white woolly; style c. 1.5 mm; stigma rounded. Capsule 3-4 mm in diameter, white woolly or glabrous with protuding convex or punctate glands.

Fl. Per.: March-Sept.

Lectotype: Egypt, in desertis Kahirinis, Forsskah. 775 (C).

Distribution: S.W. Asia and N. Africa.

A species extremely variable in size and shape of leaf, pubescence of ovary, calyx and stems. The glands on the vegetative plants, stems and inflorescence branches may be erumpent and tuberculiform and may make the leaf margins quite undulate. The glands on the capsule may be punctate (Townsend, l.c.). Many infraspecific varieties have been recognised based on these variations of characters. Townsend (Kew Bull. l.c.) in discussing the limits of the species maintains that with these transitional forms of leaves and pubescence no infraspecific varieties can be recognised.