Shrubs or vines, to 1 m, climbing to 10 m within fibrous bark of Taxodium or Chamaecyparis by means of flattened rhizomes that, at intervals, give rise to emergent branches; twigs multicellular stipitate-glandular-hairy, otherwise sparsely to moderately unicellular-hairy. Stems ± terete. Leaf blades ovate, elliptic, or slightly obovate, (1-)2-6(-7) × (0.3-)0.3-2(-2.7) cm, base narrowly cuneate to rounded, margins obscurely to clearly toothed, especially near apex, revolute, apex acute to rounded. Inflorescences axillary racemes, from near stem apex; bracteoles near apex to middle of pedicel. Flowers: calyx lobes 3.5-5 × 1-1.5 mm; corolla cylindric-urceolate, weakly 5-ridged, 6-8(-8.5) × 4-5 mm; filaments geniculate, 4-6 mm, glabrous; style strongly sunken into ovary apex. Capsules subglobose, 2.5-4 × 3.5-5.3 mm, glabrous; placentae central to nearly basal. Seeds angular-ovoid to obovoid or narrowly conic, not winged; testa cells isodiametric.

Flowering winter-spring. Taxodium, Chamaecyparis, or broad-leaved swamps, wet depressions in pine forests; 0-100 m; Ala., Fla., Ga., Miss., S.C.

Pieris phillyreifolia is the only viny member of the Ericaceae in the United States; like P. cubensis Small of Cuba and P. swinhoei Hemsley of China, it has more or less isodiametric testa cells; it has been placed in sect. Phillyreoides Bentham & Hooker f.