Shell of moderately to large size, 14-50 mm., elongate-pagodiform, with a tall spire, and a long body-whorl, slowly tapered to a long unnotched anterior canal. Protoconch subcylindrical of two smooth whorls. Adult whorls with a more or less median placed peripheral carina, flange-like, with pointed serrated nodes or coronated by upcurved spinose processes. Suture usually submargined by a spiral band of oblique oval gemmules; the rest of the concave shoulder slope either smooth or with fine spiral lirations. Below the peripheral carina the whorls are densely sculptured with closely spaced strong beaded spiral cords, a few stronger ones on the upper part of the base. Some species have the spiral sculpture almost obsolete, but the gemmulate to serrated keel is characteristic. Sinus moderately deep, broadly arcuate, occupying most of the shoulder slope. Radula with a very broad-based, unicuspid central tooth and modified wishbone-type marginals, which are foliated-based in pulchella but with a superimposed smaller plate in crispulata. Range: Recent, India to Japan, Miocene of Okinawa and Italy, Oligocene of Victoria, South Australia and Germany, Eocene of France, England and the S.E. United States.

Shell of moderate to large size, 14-50 mm in height, elongate-fusiform, with a tall pagodaform spire, and a long body-whorl, gradually tapered to a long unnotched anterior canal. Protoconch subglobose or subcylindrical of two smooth whorls, sometimes angulate towards its termination. Adult whorls with a more or less median placed peripheral carina, flange-like, with pointed serrated nodes, or coronated by up-curved spinose processes. Suture sometimes sub-margined by a spiral band of oblique oval gem-mules; the rest of the concave shoulder slope either smooth, or with spiral sculpture. This may be in the form of weak smooth to granulose spirals, extending up from the peripheral carina, or there may be a single plain spiral lamella, or a spiral row of granules, subdividing the shoulder slope. Below the peripheral carina the whorls vary from smooth to densely sculptured with closely spaced smooth to strongly gemmate spiral cords. In one group of species there is a second keel that encircles the upper base. Sinus moderately deep, broadly arcuate, occupying most of the shoulder slope, or narrower and restricted to above a median lamella in some species. Operculum leaf-shaped, with a terminal nucleus. Radula with a large, very broad-based, unicuspid central tooth, no laterals, but modified 'wishbone-type' marginals, which are foliated-based in pulchella.
Range — Recent: India to Japan; Pliocene: Pa-nama; Miocene; Europe, Okinawa, Australia and Panama; Oligocene: Germany and the south eastern United States; Eocene: Europe, England, India?, the Caribbean, and the southeastern United States.