Fruits are used medicinally in India. Introduced from the Mediterranean region. Cotyledons oblong , 4-15 mm long, thick, creased down the center, slightly indented at the tips. First and subsequent leaves resemble those of mature plants. Photosynthesis is by the C4 pathway.
Roots can develop nitrogen-fixing nodules.
Flowers axillary, solitary , bright yellow , 5-15 mm in diameter. Stamens and ovary chambers twice the number of petals. Seeds usually 3-5 per nutlet, remain enclosed within burrs. Burrs often remain on senesced plants or the soil surface. Disturbed places, roadsides, railways, cultivated fields, yards, waste places, walk ways.