Erect perrenial to 60 cm high; stems coarse-hairy in lower third sometimes with a cottony overlay, with appressed-cottony indumentum or becoming glabrous upwards. Leaves not dissected or occasionally lobate in proximal half with denticulate or dentate margins, both surfaces coarse hairy becoming glabrous or slightly cobwebby upwards; lower surface commonly purple; mid-stem leaves pseudopetiolate, attenuate at base, oblanceolate to narrow-oblanceolate, or linear, 6–17(–22) cm long, to 20 mm wide; upper leaves occasionally auriculate, narrow-lanceolate or linear to narrow-linear. Inflorescences corymbose, typically with 20–60 capitula; capitula non-radiate; involucre narrowly cylindric, (5.0–)6.0–9.0 mm long, glabrous; bracts 8–13; bracteoles present; florets 15–35, bisexual and female. Cypselas lageniform, 2.8–4.5 mm long, orange-brown, or (in bisexual florets) dark brown, papillose-hairy scattered in lines; pappus of slender hairs 6–8 mm long, deciduous. Flowers late spring–autumn.

MuM, Wim, GleP, VVP, VRiv, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, MonT, HFE, VAlp. Also SA, Qld, NSW, ACT, Tas. Widespread in sandy and loamy soils, in scrub, woodland, and forest, from sea-level to 1500 m, but absent from riverine and far north-west.

Callitriche brutia