Spreading to decumbent shrub, 0.3-2 m tall. Leaves entire, oblong to elliptic to almost round or linear, 0.5-2 (-3) cm long, 1.5-4 (-10) mm wide; margins recurved to revolute; upper surface villous to glabrous and granulose; lower surface villous or rarely subsericeous or glabrous. Conflorescence terminal or axillary, usually simple, decurved to erect, subsecund to subglobose and then 4-26-flowered, or 2-flowered, basipetal; floral rachis 2-10 (-18) mm long, tomentose to villous. Flowers adaxially acroscopic. Flower colour: perianth colour variable, usually orange, pink or red, sometimes yellow or cream, often paler (to cream) in apical or dorsal half; style usually reddish, occasionally greenish yellow to pure yellow. Perianth tomentose to villous outside, bearded inside. Pistil 8.5-20.5 mm long; ovary sessile, white-villous; style villous near base, tomentose above, weakly exserted from late bud; pollen-presenter lateral. Follicle ovoid, 8.5-12 mm long, loosely villous, ridged.
Grows in a variety of well-drained sites, including in dry sclerophyll forest or woodland, heath or mallee; usually in sandy soils, sometimes on granitic hills or slopes.