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Cyathia usually subsessile, but sometimes on peduncles to 5 mm long, especially those at the centre of the umbels which sometimes develop only male flowers, c. 3 × 5 mm with broadly cup-shaped involucres, the central cyathia larger to 8 mm in diameter; glands 4–7 or occasionally more and sometimes proliferating amongst the male flowers to produce a "double" involucre, 1–2 × 1.5–3 mm, transversely oblong, margin very irregular, rounded, shortly 2-horned, or crenulate and convoluted, bright yellow; lobes 1–1.5 mm long, rounded, margin shallowly toothed, finely ciliate.
Leaves densely crowded on the upper part of sterile growths, sparser and often shorter on flowering stems, sessile, spreading to reflexed; lamina to 30 × 5 mm, linear-lanceolate, rounded at the apex and conspicuously apiculate, cuneate at the base.
Cymes occasionally axillary, usually clustered in terminal 3–7-branched pseudumbels with primary rays to 2 cm long, each forking usually once only or sometimes branching to produce further umbels.
Glabrous perennial herb; rootstock woody, 1–2 cm thick, producing densely-tufted simple or sparsely-branched annual stems; stems erect, to 30 cm high, seldom more.
Seeds 3.5 × 3 mm, ovoid and slightly compressed, smooth, blackish with faint brown speckles; caruncle 1.5 mm across, wrinkled, orange.
Female flower: styles 1.8 mm long, joined for one-third, with spreading thickened bifid apices.
Capsule exserted on a pedicel to 1.5 cm long, 5.5 × 6.5 mm, deeply 3-lobed, surface roughened.
Male flowers very many: bracteoles linear, ciliate at the apex; stamens 3.5–4.5 mm long.
Bracts similar to the leaves, to 12 × 6 mm, and more ovate-lanceolate.
