Branches prostrate to weakly erect, c. 3–30 cm long. Leaves 7–35 mm long, 3–14 mm wide, the portion above the long, attenuated base somewhat orbicular, green and sparsely cottony above, greyish and densely cottony below, margins often undulate. Compound heads c. 3–7 mm diam., with c. 5–30 capitula; involucral bracts 1.5–2 mm long, in c. 3 uneven rows, the outer and middle bracts more or less uniformly hyaline and lacking recurved apices, the 2(–3) innermost bracts longer and with brown, rigid, often hook-like apices; florets 5–6. Cypselas 0.7–0.9 mm long. Flowers Sep.–Nov.
LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, VVP, VRiv, RobP, MuF, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGL, EGU, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, MonT, VAlp. Also WA, SA, Qld, NSW, ACT. Naturalized (as a wool adventive) in New Zealand and Scotland. Widespread on sandy or shallow rocky soils through much of the State, usually growing in areas of higher rainfall than those occupied by S. hamata.
