Mitreworts are slender herbs, growing in moist meadows and forests at medium to higher elevations. The stems are glandular-hairy, at least on the upper parts, and usually leafless.
The flowers grow several in tall, narrow spikes at the stem tops. Flowers may be densely clustered together, or grow more spaced apart. The 5 sepals are united into a calyx, which is bell- or saucer- shaped, often with tips bent backwards. The 5 petals are usually greenish, sometimes white, and are deeply fringed into pairs of thread-like, spreading segments.
The leaves are concentrated at the base of the plants. They are heart- to kidney-shaped, usually having 5-7 lobes which are toothed, sometimes more deeply cut. The leaf stalks are long. Leaf surfaces are usually covered with more or less stiff hairs.