A significant crop of spices, coriander plays a key role in flavouring meals. The plant is a tiny, bushy herb with a thin stem that grows 25 to 50 cm tall and has several branches and umbels. The leaves are complex and alternating. 

A lovely perfume permeates the entire plant. An inflorescence is a compound umbel made up of five individual umbels. When pushed, the globular, 3 to 4 mm in diameter fruit splits into two locules, each containing one seed. Fruit has a subtle scent, and the seeds range in colour from light white to light brown.