Semi-prostrate or sprawling, occasionally suberect, much-branched, often dense, perennial herb. Stems woody towards base, up to c. 25 cm long and to c. 1 cm diameter, with scattered simple, ± curled hairs, especially when young. Petiole very short, usually <5 mm long. Leaves pinnate (except basal ones), 10-55 × 4-15 mm, ± oblong in outline, semisucculent, generally pubescent with straight and curled hairs, these often dense on rachis below, sometimes leaf glabrous or glabrate; leaflets (7)-9—11, well-spaced along the broad rachis, opposite or subopposite in 4-5 pairs, each from <0.5 mm to 7 mm long, narrow-oblong to ± obovate, with 0-5 usually obtuse or rounded, occasionally acute, lobes or teeth. Inflorescence from <1 to c. 4 cm high, erect, simple or with 1—3—(7) branches, with hairs as on non-flowering stems; capitula terminal, 5-8 mm diameter, broad-oblong. Stem bracts 2-5,2-5 mm long, linear-lanceolate, glabrate or somewhat puberulent, with hairs as on stems, especially near margins. Supplementary bracts 3-7,2-3 mm long, linear-lanceolate. Florets hermaphrodite; disc pale yellow; rays 0. Phyllaries (11)—13,4-6 mm long, oblong-lanceolate, glabrous or nearly so; margin hyaline; apex obtuse; tip dark. Pappus hairs minutely plumose. Corolla infundibuliform. Anthers 1-1.5 mm long. Achenes 2.5-3.4 mm long, cylindric, scabridulous in grooves; ribs 8-10, brown, broad. Fl Nov.-Mar. 2n = 60 (E. J. Beuzenberg pers. comm.).

Herbaperennis, semiprostrata usque erecta, foliispinnatis semisucculentibus, in ambitu ± oblongis, foliolis dissitis secus rhachim latam dispositis. A S. colensoi diagnoscenda filicina foliorum dissectione, inflorescentia &lt;4 cm alta et simplici vel 2-3-ramosa, capitulis 3-7 bracteis supplementariis basim ornatis, floribus radii nullis (inS. colensoi panicula5-12 cm alta, capitulis 9-16 bracteis supplementariis ornatis, floribus radii conspicue aureis).