[1][dead link‍][3] This rhizomatous perennial herb produces one to three stems which creep across the ground or twine around adjacent vegetation, reaching several meters in length.

They are green or maroon-tinged, filled with a milky sap, and dotted with reddish glands on the newer parts.

The oppositely arranged leaves are borne on petioles a few centimeters long which are covered in scattered hairs.

Associated species include Quercus hemisphaerica, Q. virginiana, Q. nigra, Q. alba, Carya cordiformis, C. glabra, C. pallida, Prunus serotina, Tilia americana, Liquidambar styraciflua, Pinus echinata, P. taeda, and P. glabra, Cornus florida, Hamamelis virginiana, Ostrya virginiana, Carpinus caroliniana, Magnolia ashei, Prunus umbellata, Rhus copallina, Vaccinium arboreum, V. elliottii, Sebastiana fruticosa, and various lianas such as Vitis spp.

Fire suppression has led to the loss of one vector of natural disturbance that keeps the forest open, leading to reduction of light levels, which results in decreased fruit production.