It is present in two native locations in San Luis Obispo County, California, and it has been reintroduced nearby in Nipomo and Los Osos.

[1] This is a perennial herb which grows erect or trailing and draping over nearby plants and other objects for support.

The slender stems are hairless and shiny, sometimes grooved, and approach 90 centimeters in maximum length.

The fruit is a toothed capsule containing up to 20 tiny brown kidney-shaped seeds.

Threats to the survival of this species include the destruction and alteration of its wetland habitat, shrinking of the local water table, and human activities such as off-roading.