Usually stout, perennating herbs (rarely annual) with large tap root; stem erect, branched, glabrous or hairy (sparsely hispid) with simple hairs. Lower leaves often large, lyrate or simple, rounded, long stalked, irregularly toothed, glabrous or hairy; upper leaves usually small, linear, sometimes absent or few. Racemes often branched, many flowered, ebracteate. Flowers mediocre, usually white, often long pedicelled. Sepals oblong, open, subequal, inner slightly sac¬cate at the base. Petals obovate, narrowed at the base into a short claw. Sta¬mens 6; filaments of the inner stamens usually with an erect, spreading tooth-like appendage. Lateral nectar gland hardly conspicuous, middle short and semiglo¬bose. Ovary 2-parted, lower part very short, sterile, upper part ± globose, bilo¬cular with 1 ovule in each cell; stigma depressed capitate; gynophore very short but distinct, about as broad as the stalk-like lower part of the fruit. Fruit biarti¬culated; upper part globose or ovoid, much larger than the lower part, indehiscent, 1-seeded, glabrous; lower part very short, stalk-like, seedless; seed subglobose, brown; cotyledons longitudinally folded, truncate.
More than a dozen species mostly in C. Europe, Mediterranean region, Trop. Africa, W. and C. Asia; only 1 species found in our area.