Schiedea membranacea, a member of the pink family (Caryophyllaceae), is a perennial herb with somewhat sprawling, unbranched, fleshy stems rising upward from near the base. They are 0.5 to 1.0 m (1.6 to 3.3 ft) long with internodes 6.0 to 12.0 cm (2.4 to 4.7 in) long. During dry seasons, the plant dies back to a woody, short stem at or beneath the ground surface. The oppositely arranged leaves, 13 to 20 cm (5 to 8 in) long and 5.0 to 8.0 cm (2.0 to 3.2 in) wide, are broadly elliptic to egg-shaped, generally thin, have five to seven longitudinal veins, and are sparsely covered with short, fine hairs. The perfect flowers have no petals, are numerous, and occur in large branched clusters. The inflorescences are about 25.0 to 27.0 cm (10.0 to 10.6 in) long. The purple, lance-shaped sepals are about 2.0 mm (0.08 in) long and have thin, dry, membranous margins. The flowers contain three to five styles and probably 10 stamens. The capsular fruits, 2.5 to 3.0 mm (0.1 to 0.12 in) long, are purple at the apex.9).