It is native to mountainous regions of southern Europe and northwestern Africa, including the Iberian Peninsula, Balearic Islands, Italy, Greece, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia.

Chaenorhinum origanifolium is a perennial herb, which reaches a size of up to 40 cm in height, non-cespitose, glabrous or glandular-pubescent in the lower third, densely glandular-pubescent in the upper part, with whitish appearance.

Leaves of 4–23 × 2–13 mm, petiole 1.5–4.5 mm-, from suborbicular to oblanceolate, from acute to obtuse, attenuate in bas.

Calyx with linear-spatulate, subacute, subequal sepals, of a purplish green, with dense glandular-pubescent indwelling on the outer face.

Capsule 2.5–5.5 mm, subglobose, shorter than the calyx, with subequal, smooth, glandular-pubescent locules.