Herbaceous, perennials, sometimes woody at base. Taproot conic, caudex woody, undivided or branched. Stem terete, rarely hollow. Leaf blade 1–3-pinnate or pinnately decompound, rarely ternately dissected or simple and undivided. Umbels compound; bracts few or absent; rays few to many; bracteoles few to many, lanceolate or linear, bases often connate, scarious or scarious-margined; umbellules few- to many-flowered; pedicels short or long, occasionally subsessile. Calyx teeth obsolete or minute. Petals white or yellow, suborbicular or oblong, emarginate, apex broadly or narrowly inflexed, abaxially often pubescent or hirsute. Stylopodium conic or depressed. Fruit ovoid or ellipsoid, moderately or slightly dorsally compressed, glabrous or variously hairy; ribs prominent, rounded or keeled, subequal, marginal ribs sometimes narrowly winged; vittae 1–2(–4) in each furrow, 2 (rarely 4–8) on commissure. Seed face plane. Carpophore 2-cleft to base.

See the taxonomic comments under Eriocycla and Libanotis, and the alternative classification at the end of the Seseli account.

The following is a synopsis of an alternative classification of Seseli, including Libanotis and allied genera, as proposed by two of us (Pimenov and Kljuykov). Synonyms are included only where taxonomic concepts, as indicated through synonymy, differ from those used in the main accounts. Literature citations provided in the main accounts are not repeated.

About 80 species: Asia, Europe; 19 species (nine endemic) in China.

(Authors: She Menglan (佘孟兰 Sheh Meng-lan); Michael G. Pimenov, Eugene V. Kljuykov, Mark F. Watson)