Hackelia virginiana, commonly known as Beggar's Lice or Stickseed, is a biennial plant

Biennial plant

A biennial plant is a flowering plant that takes two years to complete its biological lifecycle. In the first year the plant grows leaves, stems, and roots , then it enters a period of dormancy over the colder months. Usually the stem remains very short and the leaves are low to the ground, forming...

 native to Eastern North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

. It has simple, rough leaves and ribbed green stems.

The flowers are small and white, bourne in mid-late summer. The seeds are burrs

Burr (fruit)

A bur is a seed or dry fruit in which the seeds bear hooks or teeth which attach themselves to fur or clothing of passing animals or people. The hooks or teeth can be irritants and very hard to get off of clothing, such as wool or cotton...

, and are very sticky. Often the entire plant will come out of the ground if the seeds catch on clothing or fur, so it is generally considered to be a pest plant.

During the plant's first year of growth it has only a basal rosette of foliage. The leaves are dark green and irregularly shaped.