It is a small, spreading shrub with oblong to elliptic papery, thin leaves, and yellow, orange or reddish flowers which bloom between July and November.

The inner bracts are about 12 mm (0.47 in) long, narrowly oblong, covered in soft, short, star-shaped hairs that taper gradually to a point.

The pale red flower petals about 9 mm (0.35 in) long and covered in smooth, short, star-shaped hairs and taper to a point.

The red or yellow stamens are about 25 mm (0.98 in) long, and covered with star-shaped, soft, weak hairs toward the base.

[4][5] In 1921 Carl Hansen Ostenfeld raised the variety to species status as Diplolaena drummondii and the change was published in Contributions to West Australian Botany, part III : Additions and notes to the flora of extra-tropical W. Australia.