It is native to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, and it is known from other places as an introduced species.

This is a hairless annual herb producing a slightly winged stem.

The leaves are each made up of two leaflike linear leaflets 3 to 6 centimeters (1.2 to 2.4 in) long.

The inflorescence holds a single pea flower 1 to 1.5 centimeters (0.39 to 0.59 in) wide which is a varying shade of red.

This is one pea species known to cause lathyrism; nevertheless, as cicerchia it figured among the comestibles enjoyed by the fortunate Milanese, listed at length by Bonvesin de la Riva in his "Marvels of Milan" (1288).