It is native to Eurasia, and it is known on other continents as an introduced species and in some areas a common roadside weed.

It is an annual herb producing a hairy, erect stem which can exceed a meter in height.

The leaf blades are divided into triangular, lance-shaped, and toothed linear lobes, and are borne on petioles.

The top of the stem is occupied by a raceme of flowers with bright yellow petals each measuring just under a centimeter long.

It produces chemicals that inhibit the germination of seeds of other species, including bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata) and Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis).