Perennial herbs; rootstock usually thick, densely covered with radical leaves and flowers directly borne on the radix. Radical leaves oblanceolate to narrowly spathulate, glabrous or sparsely hairy with simple hairs. Scapes 1-flowered, c. as long as the leaves: Flowers very variable in size, small to large, white or lilac, often with blue or violaceous veins. Sepals not saccate at base. Petals c. twice as long as the sepals, with broad orbicular limb. Stamens 6; filaments not appendaged. Lateral nectar glands semi-annular, open towards the linner side; middle glands present, joining the laterals. Ovary ovoid or broadly ellipsoid, glabrous, c. 10-ovuled; stigma sessile or subsessile. Fruits ovoid or ellipsoid, short, often somewhat contorted, unilocular, indehiscent, glabrous; seeds few, biseriate.