Plants 1-2 m. Stems: spines at nodes absent or 1, 10(-12) mm. Leaf blades pentagonal, 1.5-5 cm, base broadly cordate, surfaces pilose-villous, lobes acutish, margins coarsely round-toothed. Inflorescences (2-)4-5-flowered racemes; peduncle 10-15 mm. Flowers: hypanthium green, narrowly tubular, 1.5-2 mm, sparsely hairy abaxially, densely pilose to arachnoid-pubescent adaxially; sepals curved-reflexed, greenish, slightly pinkish or purplish margined, narrowly oblong, 3-4 mm, apex acute to rounded, surfaces pilose; petals broadly cuneate-flabellate; styles connate 1/2 their lengths, pilose-villous in proximal 1/2. Berries gray-black, nearly globose, 8 mm. 2n = 16.

Flowering Apr-Jun. Edges of streams and marshes; 100-1500 m; Calif., Oreg.