Flower:

Tapering spikes to ¾ inch long of small, white/greenish/pale pink flowers, each about 1/8 inch across. A flowers is flanked bi-laterally by round winged sepals with three other sepals (one tipped with minute fringes) enclosing the flower column. These flowers do not open widely givng the flower an appearance of a tiny bulblet. Flowers bloom from the bottom of the spike up. One plant may have several spikes, each at the end of branching stems.

Leaves and stem:

There are few lower leaves with most of the mature ones displayed in whorls of 4 or 5 on the upper flowering branches. The slender, smooth, pointed leaves are not much over 1 inch long and no more than 3/8 inch wide, and are often visually lost in the surrounding grassy blades. The very slender, smooth stems are branched - often opposite - and while erect, are often supported by surrounding vegetation.

Notes:

This milkwort species is generally found SW of a line from Kittson county in the NW, running down through the Metro to Houston county in the SE. It frequents open grasslands and woodland openings. The flower spike is similar to the related Seneca Snakeroot (P. senega) but the latter has alternate leaves and is typically unbranched.