Perennial plant up to 1m, roots 1 or 2, fleshy. Triternate leaves are dry or drying at flowering, leaflets lanceolate to narrowly linear. Inflorescence with reduced sheath-like bracts at nodes, flower stalks few, branched with up to 3 lateral umbels; flowers yellow, sepals acute to tridentate, petals with resin duct notably branched near the base.

Fruit narrowly obovate, 7-9mm long.

The fleshy tubers were eaten by early tribes for their anise-parsnip flavour, hence the common name Anyswortel.