Plants 15-60 cm tall, branched. Basal leaves ternately lobed; segments oval to ovate; margin toothed; cauline leaves pinnately dissected; segments linear. Rays 3-6, unequal. Calyx teeth prominent, unequal. Petals purplish-white, the outer larger, bilobed. Styles slender, spreading, 1.5-2.5 mm long. Fruit sub-globose, c. 4 mm long; vittae in furrows obscure; commissure 2-vittate. Inner seed face concave.

Fl. Per. Early spring to early summer.

Type locality: Italy.

Distribution: A cosmopolitan cultivated plant.

Coriander is a very common cultivated plant in the plains and the hills. Its wild distribution is uncertain. The leaves and the fruits are used as a spice. The fruits are also used in digestive ailments.