Lessertia species are mainly perennials with a few annuals. The genus consists of erect, prostrate or decumbent herbs and shrubs. It has compound or rarely unifoliate leaves, paired stipules, an elongated or subcapitate raceme, paired bracts. All these features are similar to Sutherlandia. The group differs from Sutherlandia in flower and fruit. In Lessertia flowers are small and they range from 6-10 mm long. They are pink, yellow or purple in colour. Fruits are either linear, compressed or subcompressed and few are inflated. In Sutherlandia (cancer bush group), flowers are very big, red in colour about 15 to 30 mm long. Fruits are also big, inflated and bladder-like in form. The name of the genus Lessertia was established in 1802 and it was named in honour of Benjamin Delessert, a Frenchman who edited the Icones selectae (1820-1846).

Lessertia rigida forms a compact rounded shrub up to 1 meter with terminal sprays of pink pea-like flowers covering the entire bush. These are followed by decorative papery pods. This plant is very showy in flower and when in seed.