[1] It can be found in many types of habitat from mountain ravines to beaches to desert scrub generally below 4,500 feet (1,400 m) elevation.

[1] Pholistoma membranaceum is an annual herb with a waxy, fleshy, bristly stem up to 90 centimeters long and branching profusely, sometimes forming a tangle.

The leaves are deeply lobed or cut and borne on winged petioles.

[2] The inflorescence consists of cymes of 2 to 10 flowers each under a centimeter wide.

The flower is white, usually with a purple spot or streak on each of its five lobes.