Annual to biennial, up to 25 cm tall, glandular to glabrous shrublet. Stem basally woody, branches prostrate to erect, terete, striate, with up to 1-3 (-3.5) cm long internodes. Lower leaves trifoliolate, petiole, up to 10-12 (-15) mm long terminal leaves unifoliolate, with up to 5 mm long petiole; leaflets linear-oblong, up to 3.5 cm long, acute, central the largest; stipular spines aculeate, shorter than leaves and internodes, patent, not reflexed. Flowers pinkish-purple, c. 8-10 mm across, pedicel up to 6 mm long. Sepals ovate, 3-4 mm long, sparsely glandular hairy outside, deciduous or semi-persistent. Petals obovate, 4-6 mm long, c. 2-3 mm broad, obtuse. Stamens with 3-4 mm long filaments. Capsule c. 4 mm long pubescent, pedicel c. twice as long as fruit.

Fl.Per.: Almost throughout the year.

Type: Saati, Eritrea, Schweinfurth 365 (K).

Distribution: India, Pakistan, Iran, Aden, Eritrea, Aethiopia, Sudan, Somalia and Kenya.

The names Fagonia cretica Linn. and Fagonia Arabica Linn. have been widely applied to plants from south Asian subcontinent. The above named species occur only in the south Mediterranean region. Pakistan plants o named belong to one or the other variety of F. indica and in particular to Fagonia indica var. schweinfurthii and differ from the above named species in having smaller capsules and flowers.