Biennial, 15-60 cm tall, erect, branched, glabrous or sparsely hairy with simple hairs. Basal leaves with 3-5 lateral lobes and an ovate terminal lobe, 2.5-12 cm long, 1-3 cm broad, stalked; upper leaves usually deeply lobed with linear-oblong segments, usually 2-3-jugate. Racemes 15-25-flowered, up to 20 cm long, in fruit. Flowers 5-6 mm across, yellow; Pedicels up to 5 mm long in fruit, ascending. Sepals c. 3.5 mm long. Petals 5-6 mm long, c. 1.5 mm broad. Stamens 3.5: 4 mm long. Siliquae linear-oblong, 10-30 mm long, c. 2 mm broad, strict, straight, terete-compressed, acute, glabrous; valves with a distinct mid-vein; septum not veined; seeds many, c. 1.5 mm long, ovate.

Fl. Per. : May-June.

Type: Described from Europe.

Distribution: Native of central Europe, but widely introduced.

Some forms of B. vulgaris R.Br. superficially resemble this species but the basal leaves are distinctive.