Annual, 15-60 (-70) cm tall, simple or sparsely branched, ± hairy with simple hairs, sometimes glabrous. Basal and lower leaves, lyrate-pinnatifid, stalked, 3-4-jugate, 30-80 mm long, 10-30 mm broad; terminal lobe ovate, short, obtuse, 3-5-lobulate, irregularly toothed; lateral lobes narrowly ovate, ± confluent, alternate, toothed; upper leaves few, distant, smaller, but ± similar to the lower. Racemes 30-70-flowered, up to 30 cm long in fruit. Flowers c. 2 mm across, yellowish-white or pale yellow; pedicels very short, 1-2(-3) mm long in fruit, thickened, ascending, straight. Sepals 2-2.5 mm long, Petals 2.5-2.7 mm long, 1 mm broad. Stamens c. 2: 2.5 mm long; anthers c. 0.5 mm long. Siliquae 20-40 mm long, 1 mm broad, erect, linear, subterete, tapering upwards, glabrous, subtorulose; style inconspicuous, with a short depressed stigma; valves submembranous with a distinct mid-vein and faint side veins; septum hyaline with an obscure mid-vein; seeds 15-25 in each locule, c. 1 mm long, ellipsoid, brownish.

Fl. Per.: April-May.

Type: Tunis, Kerwan, Desfontaines (P).

Distribution: S.E. Europe, Mediterranean region, Iran and Pakistan.

Smaller forms of S. irio L. may be sometimes confused with it, but tapering short fruits on very short, thickened pedicels, not overtopping the young flowers and buds are distinctive characters of this species.

It seems to prefer arid and lower hills in our area.