Very ramified subshrub. Ovate or oblong leaves, with dentate or lobate margins of up to 4 cm long and 3.5 cm wide. Capitula in loose peaks, involucre of 2 to 3 mm, oblong or linear bracts, white corollas of 1 to 1.5 mm. Oblong achenes of 1 mm.

Subshrubs up to 1 m high, highly ramified. Erect stems, with a woody base. Leaves ovate, puberulous to glabrescent from 3 to 5 cm in length, base cuneate to rounded, serrate with obtuse apex. Verticillasters of 6 flowers in terminal strips or panicles of 6-8 cm; sessile bracts; corolla purple to white of about 3 mm; free stamens, slightly exerted. Brown, ovoid, glandular-foveolate nutlets of almost 1 mm.

Herbaceous annual up to 1 m. Large lower leaves, broadly oblong or obovate with serrated margins, the upper leaves are cauline, simple, narrower, lobed, dentate or entire, short petioles or sessile. Bright yellow flowers of 7 to 10 mm. Fruit in the form of a pod 4 to 7 cm long, dark brown seeds up to 2 mm in diameter.