A small plant, 15 to 40 cm high with many stems.

Leaf surfaces are rough and glandular, and may have felty white hairs.

Yellow flowers mostly form throughout the year, but often seen from June to October.

The habitat of this plant includes sand among rocks, in or near dry creek beds, exposed rocky hill slopes and sandy gibber.

The specific epithet pterochaetum is derived from the Ancient Greek language, ptero (winged) and chaetum (hair).