Herbs, perennial, yellow or orange lactiferous, rather brittle. Stems 1(-3), erect, terete, striate, pubescent or glabrous. Basal leaves few, long petiolate; blade pinnatipartite or pinnatisect; lobes deeply undulate or irregularly serrate. Cauline leaves 2-7, shortly petiolate, apical 2 leaves (rarely 3) almost opposite, or almost terminal from peduncle bottom, shortly petiolate or sessile; blade like basal leaves. Flowers in corymb or umbel, pedunculate, bracteate. Sepals 2, caducous, broadly ovate, villous. Petals 4, yellow, suborbicular, imbricately arranged. Stamens many (20 or more); filaments filiform; anthers oblong or linear-oblong, 2-celled, longitudinally divided. Ovary ovoid or terete, pubescent, 1-loculed, 2-4-carpellate; ovules many; styles terete; stigmas capitate, 2-4-lobed, lobes alternate with placentas. Capsule narrowly ovoid or narrowly oblong, pubescent, 2-4-valvate from apex to base, with many seeds. Seeds small, tessellate, cristately carunculate.

Three species: China, one in North America (Atlantic coast); two species (both endemic) in China.

(Authors: Zhang Mingli (张明理); Christopher Grey-Wilson)