Herbs perennial, essentially glabrous, often scabrous at nodes and base of umbel. Taproot long-conic. Stem slender, thinly ribbed or striate, usually branched, petiole remnants not persistent. Leaves petiolate; petioles sheaths inflated, membranous; blade triangular to broadly lanceolate, 3-ternate/pinnate or 2–3-pinnate; ultimate segments narrow. Umbels terminal or lateral; bracts and bracteoles often absent, sometimes several. Calyx teeth minute. Petals obovate to elliptic-ovate, white, pink or dark purple (often variable within a species), base claw-like, apex obtuse or notched with incurved tips. Stylopodium short-conic or depressed. Fruit broadly ovoid, base cordate or obtuse, apex slightly constricted, slightly laterally compressed, glabrous; ribs 5, filiform; vittae (2–)3 in each furrow, (2–)4 on commissure. Seed face concave. Carpophore divided half its length or more.

This is a poorly defined genus is in need of revision based on new, comprehensive material. Many of the Chinese species are incompletely known with no specimens bearing mature fruit. Specific boundaries are often unclear, and this treatment should be considered provisional. Generic delimitation between Meeboldia, Sinodielsia, Tongoloa, and Vicatia continues to be problematic and controversial. Some authors accept the genus Sinodielsia to contain five species (S. bipinnata, S. digitata, S. microloba, S. thibetica, and S. yunnanensis), whereas others include S. bipinnata and S. thibetica in Vicatia and the remainder in Meeboldia. The latter classification is adopted for the Flora of China pending detailed revision including all Chinese taxa in these genera.

Tongoloa souliei (H. de Boissieu) H. Wolff (Pflanzenr. 90(IV. 228): 319. 1927; Pimpinella souliei H. de Boissieu, Bull. Herb. Boissier, sér. 2, 2:810. 1902) was described from W Sichuan (“Tongolo,” J. A. Soulié s.n., holotype, P). It is not treated in this account as it is imperfectly known.

About 15 species: high-altitude Sino-Himalayan region, mainly in SW China, extending west to C Nepal; 15 species (13 endemic) in China.

(Authors: Pan Zehui (潘泽惠); Mark F. Watson)