It is native to Europe, Asia and North Africa, and it is present on other continents, including North and South America and Australia, as an introduced species and in many areas a common weed.

It is an annual or perennial herb producing a slender, glandular stem up to about 25 centimeters long.

It is lined with slightly fleshy linear or threadlike leaves each under 2 centimeters long.

The leaves may be tipped with hard points or spines, and they are accompanied by shiny white lance-shaped stipules.

They have hairy, glandular sepals and five round-oval pink petals.