It grows throughout India.

It is a robust, erect, annual herb. The stems are sub-quadrangular with thickened nodes; the leaves are oblanceolate, with a yellow spine in its axil; the flowers pale, purple blue, densely clustered in axils; the fruits are oblong, glabrous capsules, 4-8 seeded.

The seeds contain large amount of tenacious mucilage and potassium salts.

The roots, leaves and seeds have been used in Indian systems of medicine as diuretics and also employed to cure jaundice, dropsy, rheumatism, anasarca and diseases of the urinogenital tract.