The species was first formally described in 1855 by Victorian Government Botanist Ferdinand von Mueller, based on plant material collected from Mount Buffalo.

[1] In Western Australia, plants previously known as W. senifolia var.

[1] It grows to 2 metres high and has narrow leaves.

These are green and glossy above and pale and hairy underneath.

White flowers with red spots appear between December and February in the species' native range.