Annual to shortlived perennial herb with taproot, glabrous, 20-60 cm high. Stems one to few, ± straight, spreading, sometimes prostrate-ascending, usually with few erecto-patent branches from the lower parts. Basal leaves mostly numerous, in a ± dense rosette, 4-13 by 1-5 cm, petiolate, lyrato-pinnate with 1-3 pairs of oblong, lateral lobes, 0.4-2.5 by 0.2-1.5 cm; terminal lobe elliptic-ovate, 1.5-5 by 1-3 cm; margins sinuate to irregularly serrate; cauline leaves similar but smaller, the uppermost without side-lobes, petiolate, without or with rather small auricles, sometimes in axillary rosettes; margins crenate to acutely serrate. Racemes ebracteate, terminal, in flower very condensed with 20-50 flowers, in fruit very prolonged, up to 30 cm long; pedicels divaricate at 60-90°, straight, rather thin, 4-13 mm long. Sepals elliptic-oblong, 2-3.7 mm long. Petals white, broadly spathulate, 3-4 mm long. Stamens 6; anthers c. 0.7 mm long. Ovary narrowly cylindrical with c. 0.3 mm long style. Siliquae linear, straight, 23-30 by 1.4-2 mm; valves rather firm; style 0.7-2.5 by 0.4-0.5 mm; stigma ± flat, slightly broader than style. Seeds red-brown, subglo-bose to oblong, very finely reticulate-foveolate, 1.1-1.3 by 0.9-1.1 mm.
Along streams on rocks and beaches, a weed in gardens and along damp tracks. In New Guinea 1350-3500 m altitude, in Timor 1600-2850
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