Plants (0.5-)1-3 cm. Stems suberect to scandent or climbing, angular, striate, diffusely branched, glabrous, sometimes papillose, distal branches usually glabrous. Leaves: ocrea mostly persistent, brownish hyaline, cylindric, 3-5 mm, margins truncate to rounded, eciliate, faces glabrous; petiole (3-)6-12(-17) mm, glabrous; blade triangular-lanceolate, (2-)2.5-4(-5.5) × (0.8-)1.2-2.5(-3) cm, subcoriaceous, base hastate, margins entire or irregularly wavy, glabrous or scabrous, apex acute, glabrous adaxially and abaxially, sometimes papillose abaxially, minutely punctate abaxially and adaxially. Inflorescences terminal and axillary, 3-5(-8) cm. Pedicels ascending to spreading, 1.5-2 mm. Flowers 1(-3) per ocreate fascicle; perianth white, greenish white, or greenish; tepals connate ca. 1/ 4 their length, lanceolate-ovate to obovate, 2-3 mm, apex rounded to acute. Staminate flowers: anthers yellow or pink, ovate. Pistillate flowers: tube reddish purple to black in fruit. Achenes usually included, black, subglobose, 3-4 × 2.5-3.5 mm, shiny, smooth.

Flowering Jul-Aug. Sunny, disturbed sites, often in urban areas; 0-500 m; introduced; Calif.; South America (Argentina, Chile).

Variety hastulata is cultivated as an ornamental. It escapes rarely in the flora area and can be invasive.