Peganum harmala smells foul when crushed. It is a much branched suffrutescent perennial. The leaves are pinnatifid with linear, glabrous segments. There are four or five white petals that have greenish veins visible and 8-10 stamens with filaments that are dilated at the base. The fruit is a nearly globose capsule that contains many seeds. Peganum harmala is found in dry waste areas.