Parrya R. Brown subgen. Leiospora C. A. Meyer in Ledebour, Fl. Altaic. 3: 28. 1831.
Herbs perennial, scapose, rhizomatous or with a caudex covered with petiolar remains of previous years. Trichomes simple or short-stalked, forked, sometimes absent. Stems often absent. Basal leaves petiolate, rosulate, simple, entire or toothed. Cauline leaves absent. Racemes ebracteate, not elongated in fruit, or flowers solitary on pedicels originating from center of basal rosette. Fruiting pedicels erect-ascending. Sepals oblong-linear, erect, unequal, base of lateral pair saccate, margin membranous. Petals pink or purple; blade obovate, apex rounded; claw strongly differentiated from blade, longer than sepals. Stamens 6, tetradynamous; filaments not dilated at base; anthers linear, obtuse at apex. Nectar glands 2, lateral; median glands absent. Ovules 18-50 per ovary. Fruit dehiscent siliques, linear to linear-lanceolate, strongly latiseptate, sessile, readily detached from pedicel; valves leathery, glabrous, torulose, margin angled, with prominent midvein and marginal veins, lateral veins obscure, apex persistently united with replum; replum rounded; septum complete, membranous, translucent; style absent; stigma conical, 2-lobed, lobes prominent, free, decurrent. Seeds uniseriate or biseriate, broadly winged, proximally margined, or wingless, oblong or orbicular, flattened; seed coat smooth, not mucilaginous when wetted; cotyledons accumbent.
Six species: China, India, Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikistan; four species in China.
Leiospora is remotely related to Parrya, from which it is easily distinguished by having fruit readily detached from the pedicel, replum terete, valves with marginal veins prominent, margin angled, and apex adnate to the replum, and stigmas sessile with free lobes. Parrya has fruit persistent on the pedicel, replum strongly flattened, valves without marginal veins, margin flat, and apex readily detached from the replum, and stigmas borne on distinct styles and with connivent lobes.
