It is an erect, woody subshrub with many branches, almost sessile narrowly elliptic to almost linear leaves, and spikes of white flowers sometimes tinged with pink.

Ptilotus barkeri is an erect, woody, rigid subshrub that typically grows up to 40 cm (16 in) high and has many branches.

There are four fertile stamens and a single staminode, the ovary is club-shaped and the style is up to 3 mm (0.12 in) long.

[2][3] Ptilotus barkeri was first formally described in 1989 by Gerhard Benl in the Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens from specimens collected in 1988.

[3][4] The specific epithet (barkeri) honours William Robert Barker who recognised this species as different from others in the genus.