A soft green, sparsley branched plant with vertical main stem, sticky rest-harrow, Ononis viscosa, grows quickly in springtime producing flowers and then seed pods before the summer drought sets in. It protects itself from high temperatures and high light levels by its abundant hairs which produce a sticky volatile substance which creates a cloud around the plant.

The genus name Ononis has been used since ancient Greek times for this group of plants which were fed to donkeys.