Herbs annual. Trichomes malpighiaceous. Stems erect or ascending, simple basally, branched above. Basal leaves not formed; cotyledons persistent, simple, entire. Cauline leaves sessile, cuneate or attenuate, not auriculate, linear, entire. Racemes few flowered, ebracteate or rarely lowermost flowers bracteate; rachis slightly flexuous. Fruiting pedicels slender, ascending or divaricate. Sepals oblong, caducous, erect, sparsely pubescent with malpighiaceous trichomes, base of lateral pair not saccate. Petals white becoming purplish, longer than sepals; blade narrowly spatulate, apex retuse; claws well developed. Stamens 6, erect, strongly tetradynamous; filaments filiform, not dilated at base; anthers narrowly oblong, apiculate at apex, median pairs 1-lobed, lateral pair 2-lobed, sagittate. Median glands absent; lateral glands 1 on each side of lateral stamen. Ovules 10-25 per ovary. Fruit dehiscent siliques, linear, terete or slightly flattened and latiseptate; valves papery, with an obscure midvein, pubescent with malpighiaceous trichomes, smooth; gynophore absent; replum rounded; septum complete, membranous; style to 1 mm; stigma capitate, subentire. Seeds uniseriate, wingless, oblong, plump; seed coat minutely reticulate, not mucilaginous when wetted; cotyledons accumbent, long persistent.

Atelanthera is the only genus in the Brassicaceae in which the median stamens have 1-lobed anthers.

One species: Afghanistan, China, Kashmir, Pakistan, Tajikistan.