Herbs, perennial, rosetted, tufted, or matted, sometimes forming hanging clumps, ?often aromatic?, (0.1–)0.3–6(–6.5) dm, sparsely to densely hirsute, sericeous, villous, or pilose, sometimes glabrate, sparsely to densely glandular-puberulent to stipitate-glandular; caudices simple or branched, branches usually relatively short, rarely elongate (I. cryptocaulis), taproot slender to stout, sometimes fusiform and fleshy. Stems (1–)2–20+, prostrate or pendent to erect, ?green, grayish, or reddish?. Leaves winter-marcescent, primarily basal, ?cauline 0–10(–15), well developed to vestigial?, usually alternate (cauline opposite in I. muirii, I. webberi), odd-pinnate; stipules persistent, sometimes absent, basally adnate to petiole, linear to lanceolate or elliptic, margins usually entire, cauline sometimes lobed; petiole present; blade narrowly oblong to filiform, planar to cylindric, 0.5–20(–25) cm, foliaceous, leaflets (3–)7–161, ?sometimes separate, more often overlapping at least distally, sometimes tightly imbricate, terminal distinct or, more often, confluent with distalmost lateral ones?, ovate or obovate to orbiculate or ± flabellate, ?often oriented in 3-dimensions, leaflet arrangement appearing verticillate?, margins flat, palmately incised from 1/4 to completely to base into teeth or linear or oblanceolate to oval or obovate lobes, venation palmate. Inflorescences terminal, (1–)3–100(–250)-flowered, ± cymes, open or of 1–several loose to capitate glomerules; bracts present, reduced; bracteoles absent. Pedicels present, ?straight to sigmoid?. Flowers 4–15 mm diam.; epicalyx bractlets (0–)5; hypanthium patelliform to campanulate or cupulate to turbinate, 0.5–3(–4) mm; sepals 5 (usually 4 in I. campestris), spreading, lanceolate to broadly ovate or deltate; petals 5 (usually 4 in I. campestris), golden to pale yellow to white, sometimes pink-tinged (red in I. multifoliolata), linear or narrowly oblanceolate to obovate, sometimes obcordate; stamens 5–20(–40), usually shorter than petals; ?filaments not forming tube?; torus ± flat to conic, or turbinate (in sect. Comarella), rarely elongate and stipelike (I. arizonica); carpels 1–20(–40), glabrous, styles subterminal, ?usually ± filiform, sometimes rough-thickened proximally?; ovule 1. Fruits aggregated achenes, individually deciduous, 1–20+, obliquely ovoid to reniform, 0.8–3 mm, ?sometimes rugose and/or carunculate?, glabrous; hypanthium persistent; sepals persistent, erect; styles tardily deciduous, ?jointed?. x = 7.
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