Short-stemmed, perennial herbs; branches short; rhizomes woody. Lvs mostly basal, palmate or palmately lobed, usually dentate; stipules large and persistent. Infl. a compound cyme with fls aggregated into glomerules. Fls 4-(5)-merous, small, yellowish or greenish, shortly pedicellate, ☿. Hypanthium campanulate or urceolate. Epicalyx present, the lobes sometimes > calyx lobes. Calyx with ± triangular sepals. Petals 0. Stamens 4-(5), inserted on outer margin of hypanthium disc. Ovary superior, surrounded by the hypanthium; carpel 1; style 1; ovule 1. Fr. a single achene, wholly or partly enclosed in the thin, dry hypanthium.