The flowers are greenish and the fruits are juicy with black shiny seeds covered by a white, succulent cup of sepals, which are fed on by various birds and lizards.

[3] Some sources, including Plants of the World Online, regard Muehlenbeckia adpressa as a synonym of this species.

[5] M. australis prefers places with plenty of sunlight and climbing support, such as forest edges, cliff faces, scrub and regenerating vegetation.

With its climbing and rapid growth form, it is capable of engulfing roadside trees, and has benefited from cleared habitats created since human settlement began, and is sometimes the only native species present in such areas.

[2] M. australis is a host plant for numerous New Zealand endemic insects including Pyrgotis eudorana, Apoctena orthropis, Argosarchus horridus, and Clitarchus hookeri.