Brewer's mitrewort is a small (10-20 cm tall) herbaceous perennial with round to kidney-shaped basal leaves finely scalloped or very shallowly lobed on the margin. The leafless flowering stalk bears a series of tiny flowers, each with a shallow hypanthium ending in 5 sepal lobes, 5 reduced, pinnately-branched, threadlike petals, and 5 stamens opposite the sepals. Brewer's mitrewort is occasionally found in moist woods and streambanks at middle to subalpine elevations (perhaps most commonly associated with mountain hemlock).