Herbs biennial, rarely short-lived perennial, glaucous above. Trichomes simple and/or stalked forked or substellate. Stems erect, simple or branched apically. Basal leaves petiolate, rosulate, simple, repand, dentate, or lobed, rarely entire. Cauline leaves sessile, auriculate, sagittate, or amplexicaul at base, entire. Racemes ebracteate, corymbose, elongated considerably in fruit. Fruiting pedicels slender, erect or divaricate. Sepals oblong or linear, erect, base of lateral pair not saccate, margin membranous. Petals yellowish, creamy white, pink, or purplish; blade spatulate, oblanceolate, or rarely linear, apex obtuse; claw undifferentiated from blade. Stamens 6, erect, tetradynamous; filaments not dilated at base; anthers oblong or linear, obtuse at apex. Nectar glands confluent and subtending bases of all stamens, median glands present, lateral ones annular. Ovules 130-200 per ovary. Fruit dehiscent siliques, linear, often subterete-quadrangular, sessile; valves leathery, with a prominent midvein, glabrous, smooth; replum rounded; septum complete, membranous, veinless; style short, stout; stigma capitate, subentire. Seeds biseriate, wingless or rarely narrowly winged, elliptic or orbicular, flattened; seed coat not mucilaginous when wetted; cotyledons accumbent.

Two species: N Africa, Asia, Europe, North America; one species in China.