Chloanthes parviflora is a small, rounded shrub to 30–90 cm (12–35 in) high, leaves pressed against the stems and usually woody at the base of the plant.

The leaves are pale green, rough, linear, 1–4 cm (0.39–1.57 in) long, 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) wide, upper surface wrinkled, blister-like, underside white and woolly, margins rolled under.

The bracts are leaf-like, sessile, linear or linear-lance shaped, rolled edges, 1–2.3 cm (0.39–0.91 in) long, 1.5–3 mm (0.059–0.118 in) wide, upper surface wrinkled, underneath woolly, smooth, slightly warty or with small, hard protuberances.

Flowering occurs from June to November but mostly in spring and the fruit is usually oblong to obovate, dry, somewhat compressed, 0.5 cm (0.20 in) in diameter and notched at the apex.

[2][3] Chloanthes parviflora was first formally described in 1845 by Wilhelm Gerhard Walpers and the description was published in Repertorium Botanices Systematicae.