Schiedea pubescens is a species characterized as reclining or weakly climbing vines, with primary stems ranging from 100 to 600 cm long. These stems often appear swollen at the nodes and exhibit a green color with a purple tinge or purple spots. The proximal parts of the stems are glabrous, while the areas near the inflorescence are puberulent or glabrate. A fibrous root system supports the plant. The leaves are simple and opposite, with lanceolate to ovate or broadly ovate blades that are usually inconspicuously falcate, measuring 6 to 18.7 cm in length and 3 to 7.5 cm in width. The leaf apex ranges from acute to acuminate or sometimes obtuse with a small mucronate tip, while the base is cuneate to broadly obtuse. The leaf surfaces are glabrous, occasionally with a few scattered hairs on the younger leaves, and the blades are coriaceous (having the texture of leather) with a purple tinge or purple spots, particularly along the midrib. The margins are slightly thickened and may have a few scattered antrorsely (upward) hooked hairs. The midvein is eccentric and usually purple. The petioles measure 0.5 to 3.1 cm in length. Stipules are absent. The inflorescence is terminal, bearing 30 to 88 flowers, and measures 30 to 50 (up to 150) cm in length. It is open, diffuse, and sparsely to densely puberulent, with purple hairs. The bracts are green, purple-tinged, or purple-spotted, lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate or subulate. The pedicels are 6 to 18 mm long. The flowers are bisexual (perfect), with sepals measuring 2.8 to 3.5 mm long, lanceolate, purple, or green with a purple midvein. The corolla (petals) is absent. There are 10 stamens with strongly dimorphic filaments and yellow anthers. The superior ovary is 1-celled, with free-central ovule placentation and 3 to 4 styles. The fruit is an ovoid capsule, 2.5 to 3 mm long, containing 0.8 to 1.0 mm long seeds, orbicular-reniform, compressed. The perisperm (nutritive tissue surrounding the embryo) is starchy, with no true endosperm. It is a rare species found in mesic to wet forests, typically between 640-1,220 meters.