[1] Species of Knorringia are perennial herbaceous plants growing to about 40 cm (16 in) tall from a slender, often branched rhizome.

The leaves are arranged alternately, usually lobed, carried on a short five-sided leaf stalk (petiole) with two distinct wings.

The ochreas are 3–20 mm (0.1–0.8 in) long, and form membranous tubes that partly or fully wrap around the stem.

The section was raised to the rank of genus in 1987 by Nikolai Tzvelev,[3] and independently in 1989 by Suk-Pyo Hong.

A 2015 molecular phylogenetic study suggested that it was sister to all the remaining genera in the tribe, although only K. sibirica was included in the analysis.