Herbs, perennial, yellow lactiferous. Rootstock short, oblique, with dense orbicular brown membranous scales, at fruiting orange fleshy. Stems erect, simple, leafless or rarely with 1 or 2 leaves. Basal leaves few in a lax rosette, long petiolate; blade pinnatisect, lobes 2 or 3 pairs, lowest pair smaller. Cauline leaves 2 from stem apex, rarely 3, opposite or subopposite, shortly petiolate, otherwise similar to basal leaves. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, 1-3-flowered. Sepals 2, caducous, imbricate. Petals 4, yellow, shortly clawed. Stamens many; anthers erect. Ovary terete or oblong, glabrous, 1-loculed, 2-carpellate; ovules many; styles short; stigmas 2-lobed, plump, alternate with placentas. Capsule narrowly terete, 2-valvate upward from base. Seeds many, small, carunculate.

One species: C, E, and N China, Japan, Korea, Russia (E Siberia).

(Authors: Zhang Mingli (张明理); Christopher Grey-Wilson)