Herbs perennial, with simple or branched caudex. Trichomes absent or simple. Stems reduced to tiny portions added annually to apex of caudex or its branches. Basal leaves fleshy or not, rosulate, simple, entire or toothed. Cauline leaves absent. Flowers solitary, borne on pedicels from axils of rosette leaves. Fruiting pedicels ascending, straight, reflexed in geocarpic taxa. Sepals broadly ovate or oblong, ascending or spreading, glabrous or pubescent, base not saccate. Petals white, pink, purple, blue, or rarely bright yellow, longer than sepals; blade broadly obovate or suborbicular, rarely spatulate, apex rounded or subemarginate; claw often absent. Stamens 6, erect or spreading, subequal; filaments dilated at base; anthers ovate or oblong, obtuse at apex. Nectar glands confluent, subtending bases of all stamens. Ovules 2-15 per ovary. Fruit dehiscent silicles, rarely siliques, oblong, ovate, orbicular, ovoid, or globose, terete, latiseptate, or angustiseptate, geocarpic or not, sessile or stipitate; valves membranous or papery, not veined or obscurely veined, smooth, glabrous or pubescent; replum flattened; septum absent; style obsolete or to 3 mm, subconical; stigma discoid, entire. Seeds uniseriate, wingless, oblong, ovate, or suborbicular, plump or flattened; seed coat obscurely reticulate, not mucilaginous when wetted; cotyledons accumbent.

Six species: Bhutan, China, India, Kashmir, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sikkim; four species (one endemic) in China.