Published in Syst. veg. 3:850. 1826 (A. Jussieu, Euphorb. gen. 28, 110, t. 7. 1824, nom. inval.; Rafinesque, Chlor. aetn. 4. 1813, nom. inval.)
The native range of this species is Medit. to Central Asia and NW. India. It is an annual and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.