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.
Characterized by an erect, branching, and tall stem, this plant was once used to treat dysentery by ancient herbalists who called 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.