Herbs annual, biennial, or perennial, tomentose, usually canescent. Trichomes stellate, subsessile, with 4 unequal rays at least 1 of which with 2 subbasal branches. Stems erect, simple at base, often branched above middle. Basal leaves rosulate or not, simple, entire. Cauline leaves sessile, cuneate or attenuate, not auriculate, entire. Racemes ebracteate, elongated in fruit. Fruiting pedicels slender, ascending or divaricate. Sepals oblong, base of lateral pair not saccate or subsaccate, margin membranous. Petals white, pink, purple, or yellowish; blade obovate or suborbicular, apex rounded; claw differentiated from blade, shorter than sepals. Stamens 6, tetradynamous; filaments dilated at base; anthers ovate or oblong, apiculate at apex. Nectar glands 4, lateral, 1 on each side of lateral stamen; median glands absent. Ovules (2-)4-40 per ovary. Fruit dehiscent siliques or silicles, linear, oblong, or elliptic, strongly latiseptate, sessile; valves obscurely veined, tomentose, torulose; replum rounded; septum complete, membranous, translucent, veinless; style distinct, to 3 mm, slender; stigma capitate, entire. Seeds uniseriate, wingless or winged, oblong or suborbicular, flattened; seed coat minutely reticulate, not mucilaginous when wetted; cotyledons accumbent.

Four species: China, Mongolia, Russia; one species in China.