Found in blossom from July to September, on moist ground, and along river banks.

A vine, with a coarse, rough stem, climbing by aid of little spirally twisted tendrils.

The broad leaf is more or less 5-pointed, or lobed, with a heart-shaped base, and a long tapering tip; the surface is roughened by small hairs, and the texture is loose and coarse; it has a short foot-stem, and is bright green.

The small 5-pointed flowers are of two kinds; the stamen-bearing ones, in clusters of 4 or 5 on a long foot-stem, spring from the angles of the leaves, while the seed-bearing blossoms are in almost stemless clusters close in the angles: they are greenish white, with yellow stamens.

A single large seed is enclosed in a flattened, pointed pod, which is armed with many fine, tough, bristles, that are easily detached in plucking and are irritating to the skin. The vine has a great number of tendrils.