Annual herb up to 1 m tall, branched or unbranched, sparsely hispid on stem and leaves. Leaves alternate, simple, lower leaves largest and with short petiole, upper leaves sessile, smaller and less divided; blade spatulate to lyrate-pinnatifid, up to 18 cm × 5 cm, terminal lobe large and rounded, lateral lobes up to 4 pairs and triangular to oblong, margins irregularly dentate, sinuate or slightly uneven. Inflorescence a terminal, dense raceme, in fruit lax and up to 40 cm long. Flowers bisexual, regular, 4-merous; pedicel slender, ascending, up to 2 cm long; sepals oblong, c. 3 mm long; petals spatulate to almost clawed with oblong blade, 3.5–6 mm × 2 mm, yellow; stamens 6, 4 longer ones c. 5 mm long; ovary superior, cylindrical, 2-celled, style short, stigma semiglobose. Fruit a straight silique 1.5–5 cm × 1.5 mm, with up to 4.5 mm long beak, dehiscent with 2 valves. Seeds ellipsoid, c. 1 mm long, brown, smooth to finely reticulate.

PROTAbase: Erucastrum arabicum

The leaves are mixed with the leaves of Vernonia auriculifera , crush together into a wet pulp, rub on the area to reduce skin rashes.