It is an annual, herbaceous plant, 40 to 60 cm tall, with erect stems, smooth and cylindrical, branched at the top. The lower leaves are petiolate, pinnate, with wedge-shaped oval segments; while the upper ones are bi-tripinnate, with acute segments. The flowers are small, white or slightly pink, arranged in terminal umbels. The fruits are diacarnian, globose, with ten longitudinal primary ribs and eight secondary ribs, consisting of tightly mericarps, yellow-brown. They have a mild and pleasant smell and a strong and spicy flavor. It contains two seeds, one for each achene. The roots are thin and very branched.

Fresh leaves are an essential ingredient of green sauce, guacamole and chili. They are used in soups, salads, sauces, to prepare ceviches and typical Latin American dishes such as stews, rice with chicken and sancochos.