It grows wildly on roadsides and has a curved arrangement of small flowers and velvety broad green leaves.

Indian heliotrope is an annual, erect, branched plant that can grow to a height of about 15–50 cm (5.9–19.7 in).

It has a hairy stem, bearing alternating ovate to oblong-ovate leaves.

It has small white or purple flowers with a green calyx; five stamens borne on a corolla tube; a terminal style; and a four-lobed ovary.

The extracted juice from the pounded leaves of the plants is used on wounds, skin ulcers and furuncles.