Ascending to erect annual, or sometimes biennial, 5–50 cm high; stems and leaves densely grey- or white-cottony. Leaves oblanceolate, 1–6 cm long, 0.2–0.7 cm wide. Capitula c. 2–3 mm long, 1–2 mm diam., commonly in clusters of c. 10–40; involucral bracts to c. 2 mm long, c. 0.2 mm wide, externally densely woolly except for the white, petaloid laminae 0.4–0.6 mm long, claw purplish internally; female florets 20–30; bisexual florets c. 6–9, corolla apices reddish. Cypselas ellipsoid-cylindric, c. 0.4 mm long; pappus c. 1.5 mm long. Flowers Oct.–Apr.
LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, VVP, VRiv, MuF, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, VAlp. Also naturalised WA, SA, NSW, Tas. New Zealand. Common and widespread on disturbed ground almost throughout the State, avoiding only areas of extremely high or low rainfall.
