Schiedea viscosa, a member of the pink family (Caryophyllaceae), is a weakly climbing or sprawling subshrub. The stems are 0.6 to 3.0 m (2.0 to 9.8 ft) long and densely covered with fine glandular hairs throughout. The thin and membranous leaves are narrowly elliptic and are 2.5 to 5.0 cm (1.0 to 2.0 in) long and 0.8 to 1.8 cm (0.3 to 0.7 in) wide. Usually three to nine flowers are arranged in loose clusters with stalks ranging from 2.0 to 3.5 cm (0.8 to 1.4 in) long. The four sepals are white, thin, and membranous, and remain so at maturity. The outer two sepals greatly overlap the inner ones. The sepals are oblong in shape and 8.0 to 9.0 mm (0.3 in) long, but enlarge to approximately 12.0 mm (0.5 in) long in fruit, completely enclosing the fruit at maturity. The stamens are scarcely fused at the base and the basal outgrowths are about 3.0 mm (0.1 in) long, nearly as wide, and two-toothed. The fruits are egg-shaped capsules, 8.0 to 12.0 mm (0.3 to 0.5 in) long, and opening by five to seven valves. The seeds are dark reddish brown, and approximately 0.8 mm (0.03 in) long with a minutely hairy surface.