It is widely cultivated in warm regions throughout the world, often under the common names gold shower or shower-of-gold, slender goldshower or sometimes thryallis.

Galphimia gracilis is easily told apart from the true G. glauca and G. brasiliensis by the flowers.

In G. gracilis many flowers of a dense inflorescence are open at one time, and the petals (claw and limb) are 8–14 mm (0.31–0.55 in) long and 4–8 mm (0.16–0.31 in) wide; in G. brasiliensis only two or three small flowers are open at one time on a sparse inflorescence, and the petals are only 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long and ca.

Pollens are spherical, approximately 16-18 microns in diameter.

In horticultural publications, in the nursery trade, and on websites, this species is commonly but mistakenly referred to as Galphimia glauca, Galphimia brasiliensis, Thryallis glauca, Thryallis gracilis, or often in South America, Thryallis brasiliensis.