[2] They are perennials with basal leaves growing from a woody rhizome that in some species extends above ground to form a short trunk.

There are three stamens fused at the base to form a tube around the longer style, which bears a flattened stigma.

[3] The genus Patersonia was first formally described in 1807 by Robert Brown in the Botanical Magazine.

[4] The genus name is a tribute to the first Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales in Australia, William Paterson, "a gentleman whose name has been long familiar to the naturalist".

[5][6] The following is a list of Patersonia species accepted by Plants of the World Online as of October 2021:[1]