An erect herb up to 1.5 m tall, with slightly woody taproot and glabrous stem. Leaves alternate, sometimes upper leaves whorled, simple, sessile, axils often with clusters of smaller leaves or short branches; blade linear to lanceolate-elliptical, 2–9 cm × 0.5–2.5 cm, margin sometimes undulate, often rough or toothed. Inflorescence a dense spike-like raceme up to 40 cm long, rachis acutely ribbed, bracteate. Flowers bisexual, 5-merous, small; pedicel 1–2 mm long; sepals linear, 1.5–2.5 mm long; petals unequal, clawed, 3–4 mm long, white, 2 upper ones divided into 4–5 lobes, other ones entire or 2–3-lobed; stamens 10–13, filaments 3 mm long, anthers brightly reddish; ovary consisting of 5–7 free, boat-shaped carpels fused at base and rough at edges, each carpel bearing a short tooth-like style and stigma. Fruit consisting of stellately spreading mericarps splitting longitudinally. Seeds reniform, c. 1.5 mm × 1 mm, brown-black, wrinkled in a fine tiled pattern.

Anthelminthic and stomachic (leaves)

PROTAbase: Caylusea abyssinica

Boiled leaves are also used to treat stomach-ache and to expel intestinal worms. Ash of the whole burnt plant or a root decoction is taken as a remedy for abdominal pain.