Annual, 5-10(-18) cm long, divaricately branched from the base, glabrous or subhairy with simple, forked or glandular hairs. Leaves filiform, multifid to simple, usually entire, 1-5(-8) cm long, sessile or subsessile; leaf segments up to 2 cm long, 1-2 mm broad. Racemes 5-10-flowered, lax. Flowers c. 5 mm across, white or pinkish; pedicels 3-6 mm long in fruit, slightly to distinctly thickened. Sepals linear, c. 5 mm long. Petals 7-9(-11) mm long, 1-1.5 mm broad. Stamens c. 5: 6 mm long; anthers c. 1 mm long. Siliquae linear, subcompressed, ± quadrangular to subcylindrical, usually slightly curved, very variable, (1.5-) 2.5-5 (-5.5) cm long, 1.5-2.5(-3) mm broad; valves 1-veined, often glabrous, subconvex; septum submembranous; seeds many, c. 1 mm long, 2(-1)-seriate.

Fl. Per.: March-April.

Type: Described from Siberia, Kumam (B).

Distribution: Same as that of the genus.

Very variable in size and shape of siliquae; fruits are usually slightly curved, but straight ones may also be found even on the same plant. Sometimes siliquae become conspicuously hooked towards the apex, a phenomenon more common in the following genus Malcolmia also, but is not a reliable taxonomic character.