Erect annual, 30-60 cm high; stem terete, moderately densely clothed with short, fine patent pubescence, moreover with scattered long, very acute, in sicco brownish, tubercle-based bristles. Leaves elliptic-oblong from a rounded or subcordate base, obtuse or acute, dentate-serrate, densely stellately pubescent and thinly bristly on both surfaces, 4-10 cm by 1½-5 cm; petiole ¾-4 cm. Stipules absent. Racemes 10-40 cm, rather lax, leafy only in the basal part. Flowers (in Java) homostylous. Pedicels finely stellately pubescent and patently pilose, during anthesis 1-2 cm long, afterwards 2-4 cm, jointed 3-4 mm below the apex. Calyx thinly stellately hairy, 5-fid over ½-⅔ of its length; segments unequal, ovate, caudately acuminate, acute, with pellucid margins. Petals obovate, with a rounded-truncate, ± crenate top, pale yellow, 3½-5 mm by 2½-3 mm. Filaments ± 2½ mm; anthers ± ¾ mm; their base sagittate. Ovary broadly ovoid, densely appressed pilose; styles ± 1 mm; stigmas as long or slightly shorter,yellow. Capsule smooth, with an apical hairtuft. Seeds curved, reticulate-ribbed and distinctly tubercled, brown, glabrous, 1½-2 mm long.
Waste places, road-sides, dry fields, 1-250 m, locally not rarely numerous but on the whole rather scarce.