Herbaceous vine, sprawling or twining over other plants, sometimes nearly smothering them. Stems red, jointed. Leaves heart-shaped. Flowers tiny, greenish white, with 5 lobes, in small clusters. Fuits tiny, black when mature, with usually wavy wings.

Native of open sunny places; however, a non-native weed from Europe is very similar -- see below. In Wildwood, occasional, sprawling over vegetation in open sunny areas in the meadows and along the bikeway.

The alien, European climbing false buckwheat (F. dumetorum), has smaller fruits with generally flat wings. It should be watched for in the Park. Other members of this genus also occur in Virginia and might be expected; they have fruits that are not winged. No other species in the park has a similar vining habit and similar flowers and fruits.