Perennial herbs, erect, somewhat fleshy or succulent, smooth, with creeping, scaly rootstock or rhizome and thick fibrous roots, often developing only 2, alternate leaves above the middle of scapes. Leaves palmately lobed, somewhat peltate, hanging down like an umbrella in young stages, petiolate. Inflorescence of 1-2, solitary or subumbellate, terminal or supra-axillary flowers. Flower large, white or rose-coloured, hermaphrodite, regular. Sepals 3-6, petaloid or greenish, outer whorl of 3 falling off early, imbricate. Petals (4-) 6-9, imbricate, showy. Stamens as many or twice as many as the petals; anthers oblong, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary monocarpellary, 1-locular, with many ovules on a broad ventral or lateral, many seriate placenta; stigma large, peltate, sessile or subsessile. Berry pulpy, many seeded, indehiscent; seeds obovoid, imbedded in pulp.
About half a dozen species in Asia and 1 in N. America; only 1 species found in West Pakistan.
