Annual subscaulescent herb, up to 5 (-10) cm tall, sparsely or thickly covered with soft hairs. Leaves in rosettes, narrow linear, 2-10 cm long, 1-1.5 (-2.5) mm broad, obtuse to acute, entire or distantly denticulate, 3-nerved, densely covered with appressed wooly hairs, attenuated at bases, bases slightly dialted. Scapes ascendent, 1-9 cm long, glabrous, or at the upper part pubescent. Flowers in dense capituliform or short cylindrical, 0.5-2 cm long thick spikes. Bracts ovate to rotundate, 3 mm long, concave, membranous, upper margins ciliate. Sepals usually glabrous, elliptic obovate, up to 3 mm long. Corolla lobes broad ovate to broad rotundate cordate, glabrous. Capsules 8 mm long, ellipsoid, obtuse, membranous, glabrous. Seeds 2, small ovoid-oblong, boat-shaped, smooth, yellowish-brown.

Type: Alexandria, Forsskal(C- not seen).

Distribution : From Mediterranian regions to the deserts of Kizil Kum, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Medicinal in the different pharmacopeias under the name of Ispaghula. Vern: Bazar Seeds: Isafghol, Bartang; English: Flea Seed; Kashmir: Ismogul; Kharan: Khardanick; Zhob: Shikampura, Sangpora.