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Herbs perennial, rarely biennial or annual. Stem(s) erect or ascending, or much reduced. Leaves basal and/or cauline; leaf blade palmately divided. Inflorescence racemose or corymbose, sometimes only 1-flowered. Pedicels usually 2-bracteolate. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic. Sepals 5, petaloid and variously colored, upper one spurred. Petals 2, sessile, free, spurred; spur nectariferous. Staminodes 2, each usually with a slender claw and an expanded limb. Stamens numerous; filaments lanceolate-linear, 1-veined; anthers ellipsoid. Carpels 3(or 4--10); ovaries many ovulate. Styles without a distinct stigma. Follicles narrowly oblong, reticulate. Seeds obpyramidal, tetrahedral, or obovoid, narrowly winged along angles, transversely rugose, squamulose winged, lamellate, or concave reticulate.
Fls irregular; cal corolloid, with unequal sep, the upper one prolonged backward into a spur usually equaling or surpassing the blade; pet mostly 4, the two upper very inequilateral, each with a long spur extending into the spurred sep, the two lower clawed, abruptly deflexed at the middle, often bifid; pet united into 1 in our introduced spp., with 1 spur; stamens numerous; pistils 1–5, the fr follicular; annual or perennial poisonous herbs with basal or cauline, palmately cleft lvs and a terminal, simple or branched raceme of blue to pink or white fls. (Consolida) 200, widespread.
