わが国の各地をはじめ、台湾や朝鮮半島、中国に分布しています。日当たりのよい藪や草地に生え、ほかの草木に絡まって伸びます。葉は楕円形または長卵形で、対生します。8月から9月ごろ、葉腋から短い集散花序をだし、灰白色の花を咲かせます。咽と内側は紅紫色です。葉を揉むと独特の臭気があります。花を水に浮かべたかたちから「さおとめばな(早乙女花)」、花の真ん中がお灸のあとに似ていることから「やいとばな(灸花)」とも呼ばれます。台湾華語では「雞屎藤」、中国語では「雞矢藤(ji shi teng)」と呼ばれます。
The "Hekuso-kazura" (Paederia scandens) belongs to Rubiaceae (the Madder family). It is a perennial herb that is native throughtout Japan, as well as Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula and China. This herb grows in sunny thickets and grasslands, and climbs up adjascent shrubs and trees. The leaves are elliptic or long-ovate and arranged in opposite. The short cymes are borne on the axils, and the grayish-white flowers bloom in August and September. The throat and inside of corolla is magenta. The leaves smell distinct odor when they are crushed. It is also called "Saotome-bana" because of the shape of the flower floating on water, and "Yaito-bana" because the center of the flower looks like the aftermath of moxibustion. In Taiwanese Chinese, it is called "雞屎藤", and in Chinese "雞矢藤" (ji shi teng).