Perennial herb to 30 cm tall, hairy. Stems decumbent, branched, rooting at nodes. Leaves along stems, elliptic to lanceolate, to 10 cm long, to 1.7 cm wide, margins entire to lobed, white-hairy below, green and virtually glabrous above, petiolate. Capitula solitary, 4-8 cm across, on stalks to 20 cm long; most of the year. Ray florets orange to yellow, black at base with a white spot.disk florets orange-yellow. Achenes about 4 mm long. Pappus scales hidden by hairs of achene.

South Africa

var. leucolaena (DC.) Roessler. Capitula 2.5-4 cm across. Leaves with white cobweb-like hairs above.

var. uniflora (L. f.) Roessler. Capitula 2.5-4 cm across. Leaves green and virtually glabrous above.

Source: Lawson, L.; Spencer, R. (2002). Dahlia. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.