Herbs annual, biennial, or perennial. Trichomes eglandular and simple, mixed with stalked multicellular, multiseriate glandular ones. Stems erect, simple basally, branched above. Basal leaves petiolate, not rosulate or rarely rosulate, simple, entire or dentate. Cauline leaves shortly petiolate or sessile, not auriculate, entire, dentate, or serrate. Racemes ebracteate, elongated in fruit. Fruiting pedicels thickened, divaricate or ascending. Sepals oblong-linear, erect, glabrous or pubescent, base of lateral pair strongly saccate. Petals purple, lavender, or rarely white, much longer than sepals, not crisped; blade obovate, apex rounded; claw distinct. Stamens 6, strongly tetradynamous; filaments not dilated at base; anthers narrowly oblong, obtuse at apex. Nectar glands, 2, lateral, semilunar, intrastaminal; median glands absent. Ovules 25-45 per ovary. Fruit dehiscent siliques, narrowly linear, latiseptate, sessile; valves with a prominent midvein and distinct lateral veins, glabrous, torulose; replum flattened; septum complete; style short, stout, cylindric; stigma capitate, 2-lobed, lobes slightly decurrent, free. Seeds uniseriate, narrowly winged, oblong, flattened; seed coat minutely reticulate, not mucilaginous when wetted; cotyledons accumbent.

Five species: C and E Asia, SE Europe; two species in China.