Its stem is erect, branched, and  high. It was once given to patients with dysentery and called by ancient herbalists Sophia Chirurgorum, "The Wisdom of Surgeons". It is the type species of the genus Descurainia (named for French botanist and herbalist François Descurain (1658–1749)) and of the rejected genus Sophia Adans.
Its stem stands upright, branches out, and reaches great heights. This plant was previously utilized to treat dysentery by ancient practitioners of herbalism who designated it "The Wisdom of Surgeons". It is the prototype species for the genus Descurainia, which was named after François Descurain, a French botanist and herbalist.