Found at edges of swampy or wet sandy woods, from Florida northward, specially on seashore. A low-growing, spreading perennial herb, with tuberous cylindrical, somewhat horizontal root, having many fibres from its lower surface. No stem, leaves lanceolate, acute, ribbed, sessile, or slightly sheathing at base, smooth and flat, pale coloured, thin and coriaceous.
Fruit is an ovate, tapering, coriaceous capsule, enclosed in a persistent envelope.
Seeds numerous, ovate, ribbed, albuminous, fleshy, and oily. Odour very faint. The bitter principle in the root has not yet been determined. Its best solvent is alcohol. It contains a large percentage of bitter extractive, colouring matter and resin, and a quantity of starch.