Biennial to perennating herbs (sometimes a year old plant looks like annual), 30-60 (-90) cm tall, erect, appressedly hairy with 2-4-parted hairs; stem often simple, subangular, rarely branched. Basal leaves rosulate, very variable, elliptic-oblong to oblanceolate, stalked, 40-60 (-80) mm long, 3-10 mm broad, sparsely toothed to subentire; cauline leaves ± similar to basal leaves or linear, subsessile or sessile. Racemes 20-60-flowered, up to 40 cm long in fruit. Flowers c. 10 mm across, yellow; pedicels (5-) 6-10 mm long, ascending. Sepals 5-6 mm long. Petals 8-10 mm long, 3-3.5 mm broad, long-clawed. Stamens c. 5:7 mm long; anthers c. 2 mm long. Siliquae linear-terete, erect, (20-) 30-60 (-70) mm long, 1.5 mm broad, appressedly hairy; valves with a distinct mid-rib; style 0.5-1.5 mm long with capitate, bilobed stigma; seeds c. 1 (-1.5) mm long, oblong.

Fl. Per.: May-July.

Type: Described from Europe.

Distribution: Europe and Temp. Asia.

A very plymorphic and complex species, often split into a number of infra specific ranks of uncertain status.