Perennials, subshrubs, or shrubs; (sometimes suffrutes-cent); (glaucous or not), mostly glabrous. Stems erect, unbranched or branched (few) proximally and distally, (1.2-) 3-12(-15.3) dm. Basal leaves (withered by flowering); similar to cauline. Cauline leaves: petiole 0.7-6.2 cm; blade (fleshy), oblanceolate to broadly lanceolate or ovate in outline, or (distally) lobed or linear to narrowly lanceolate, 3-15 cm (smaller distally), margins lyrate-pinnatifid or runcinate, or (distal) pinnately lobed or entire. Racemes somewhat dense. Fruiting pedicels horizontal to divaricate, 3-11 mm. Flowers: sepals oblong-linear, 8-16 mm; petals yellow, oblanceolate to oblong, 8-20 × 2-3 mm, claw 4-10 mm, wider at base, densely pubescent inside; filaments 11-28 mm, pilose at base; anthers 3-5 mm; gynophore 7-28 mm. Fruits usually spreading to divaricate, rarely ascending, often strongly curved downward, not tortuous, (smooth), terete, 3-9 cm × 1.5-3 mm; ovules 10-38 per ovary; style 0.2-0.6 mm. Seeds (sometimes black), oblong, 2.5-4.5 × 1.2-2 mm.

Plant: Stems several-many, 4-15 dm, glaucous; hairs 0 or sparse; base branched, woody Leaves: petioled; basal and lower cauline 5-15 cm, 2-5 cm wide, widely lanceolate, deeply pinnately lobed, hairs 0 or short; upper cauline linear-lanceolate to ovate, entire or few-lobed INFLORESCENCE: racemes, 1-3 dm, dense; buds yellowish, club-shaped Flowers: bisexual; sepals 4, free, spreading or reflexed, 10-15 mm; petals 10-18 mm, yellow, claws with dense, long, wavy hairs on inner side; stamens >> petals, ± equal; ovary 1, superior, chambers generally 2, septum membranous, connecting 2 parietal placentas, style 1, stigma simple or 2-lobed Fruit: capsules with 2 deciduous valves, spreading to ± downcurved, 3-8 cm, ± cylindric; stalk above receptacle 10-25 mm; pedicel spreading, 6-12 mm, hairs 0 or few; Seed ± 2 mm, oblong, plump; margin 0; embryonic root at back of 1 cotyledon Misc: Generally open sites, slopes, canyons; < 1850 m.