Its genus name, Isatis, derives from the ancient Greek word for the plant, ἰσάτις.

Due to their extremely variable morphology, the Asian species in particular are difficult to determine; the only reliable diagnostic feature is the ripe fruit.

They are (usually) biennial or perennial herbaceous plants, often bluish and hairless or downy hairy with the upright stem branched.

Racemose is branched or paniculated, ebracted, inflorescence, often reaching lax and elongated in the fruit.

The fruit is a generally linear silique, oblong-cuneate to suborbicular, indehiscent, flattened laterally, unilocular, little to conspicuously winged, glabrous or with tiny hairs.