Herbs, annual; glabrous or pubescent (not glandular; producing glucosinolates). Stems erect, decumbent, or sprawling; unbranched. Leaves alternate, simple or compound; venation pinnate; stipules absent; petiole present; blade margins entire or pinnately lobed, bipinnate, or ternate. Inflorescences axillary, flowers solitary; bracts absent. Pedicels present. Flowers usually bisexual, usually actinomorphic, rotate; perianth and androecium hypogynous; sepals usually persistent, 3 or 5 (4 in Limnanthes macounii), distinct or slightly connate basally, equal or unequal; petals same number as sepals, convolute in bud, distinct, equal; nectary glands present; stamens 3, 6, 8, or 10 (same or twice the number of sepals); filaments distinct, glabrous; anthers dehiscing by longitudinal slits, introrse or extrorse, tetrasporangiate, pollen shed in single grains, binucleate, 2-4-aperturate, colpate or colporate; disc absent; gynophore absent; pistil 1; ovary 2-5-carpellate, syncarpous basally (united by gynobasic style); placentation basal; ovules 1 per locule, anatropous, unitegmic; style 1 (gynobasic); stigmas (2 or) 3-5 (dry, papillate). Fruits schizocarps (mericarps or nutlets), tuberculate, ridged, smooth, or rugulose. Seeds 1; not arillate; endosperm absent.