Herbs annual, sometimes perennial from slender, deeply buried rhizomes. Trichomes absent. Stems absent or rarely developed. Basal leaves long petiolate, rosulate, simple, entire or repand, palmately 3-5-veined. Cauline leaves absent, rarely present and similar to basal ones. Racemes absent and all flowers on pedicels from basal rosette, if present then few flowered, bracteate throughout. Fruiting pedicels erect-ascending or divaricate, recurved. Sepals ovate, base of lateral pair not saccate, margin not membranous. Petals white, slightly longer than sepals; blade obovate, oblong-obovate, or spatulate, apex obtuse; claw absent. Stamens 6, subequal; filaments not dilated at base; anthers orbicular, obtuse at apex. Nectar glands 4, 1 on each side of lateral stamen; median glands absent. Ovules 2 per ovary. Fruit indehiscent, schizocarpic, didymous, angustiseptate silicles, sessile; valves (mericarps) transversely ovate or sublenticular, 1-seeded, woody, reticulate, keeled all around; replum rounded; septum complete, thickened, opaque, veinless; style slender, to 0.3 mm; stigma capitate, entire. Seeds wingless, broadly ovate, plump or slightly flattened; seed coat smooth, not mucilaginous when wetted; cotyledons accumbent.

One species: China, Russia.