Cosmos parviflorus is an annual, herbaceous, flowering plant that typically grows between 30 and 90 cm (12 and 35 in) tall.

The opposite leaves are attached to petioles around 0.5 cm long, and are deeply divided into narrow linear segments.

[6][7][8] This species grows in open or forested slopes and canyons at elevations of 100 to 3000 metres from sea level.

[4] As of December 2024[update], the conservation group NatureServe listed Cosmos parviflorus as Secure (G5) worldwide.

In 1807, Christiaan Hendrik Persoon renamed the species to its currently accepted name, Cosmos parviflorus.