It is a small, diffuse shrub with its branches, leaves and some of its flower parts densely covered with white, woolly hairs.

[2][3][4][5] The flowers are vivid in appearance, deep red to yellowish scarlet and are arranged singly or in groups of up to five in leaf axils on woolly stalks 3–6 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long.

[2][3][4][5] Dasymalla axillaris was first formally described in 1839 by Stephan Endlicher and the description was published in his book Novarum Stirpium Decades.

[10] This species of Dasymalla grows in deep sand in recently disturbed areas about 200 km (100 mi) south-east of Geraldton in the Avon Wheatbelt, Swan Coastal Plain and Yalgoo biogeographic region and its numbers decline fairly rapidly following the disturbance.

[3][4][11] Dasymalla axillaris is classified as "critically endangered" under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999[3] and as "Threatened Flora (Declared Rare Flora — Extant)" by the Department of Environment and Conservation (Western Australia)[11] meaning that it is likely to become extinct or is rare, or otherwise in need of special protection.