Herbs, perennial. Rhizomes short, stout, branching. Caudices robust, densely covered with fibrous or lamellar old leaf sheaths, crowned with rosulate leaves. Flowering stems emerging below rosettes. Rosulate leaves narrowly spatulate or linear-oblanceolate, veins 3-5, parallel, base attenuate into petiole, margin entire, apex obtuse. Cauline leaves usually 2- or 3-paired, lanceolate, smaller apically. Cymes aggregated into a terminal capitulum; involucral bracts 2- or 3-paired; each flower subtended by a bract; bracteoles 2, small. Calyx 5-dentate, enlarged in fruit. Corolla campanulate; tube gibbous basally; limb 5-lobed. Stamens 4. Sterile locules of fruit not reduced.

Two species: the Himalaya; one species in China.