The stems are erect to sprawling and branched, growing 50 to 120 centimeters in height, with the lower sections being woody.

They consist of five petals that are 4 to 8 millimeters long, creamy to orange-yellow in color, and may be somewhat reddish in the center.

[4] This species is usually confined to waste ground, such as roadsides and rocky areas,[5] stock camps or rabbit warrens, but can be competitive in pasture, because of its unpalatability to livestock.

The stems have a high quality fiber and were once exported from India and elsewhere as “hemp” (Guzmán 1975, Holm and others 1997).

However, it was reported that the root contained 450 ppm alkaloids and the presence of ephedrine and saponin (Southwest School of Botanical Medicine 2002).

Leaves are smoked in Mexico and a tea is prepared in India for the stimulation it provides (Shaman Australis Ethnobotanicals 2002).