Originally known as Dittany, this is a tall (up to 1.5m) perennial plant which can be found on land near the sea or on salt marshes but does occur inland too.. The flowers are not as small as some pepperworts and have a protruding stigma. Until Horse-radish (Armoracia rusticana) was introduced to the British Isles, the roots of this native plant were used to make a peppery sauce for flavouring beef.

It is an uncommon plant but perhaps more often recorded in the past from east Anglia and the south east of England. There are only a few sites in Scotland, Ireland and Wales.