Thlaspi arvense is a foetid, hairless annual plant, growing up to tall, with upright branches. The stem leaves are arrow-shaped, narrow and toothed. It blooms between May and July, with racemes or spikes of small white flowers that have 4 sepals and 4 longer petals. Later it has round, flat, winged pods with a deep apical notch, measuring across. They contain small brown-black seeds.
