Gallant soldier

The stems are erect, branched, slender and striate (parallel ridged). The leaves are opposite, pale green and petiolate (with leaf stalk) and are lanceolate to ovate in shape. They are 1-6cm long and 0.5-4cm wide. The stems can be with or without hairs (glabrous). The leaf margins, however, are fringed with short hairs like an eyelash. The upper leaves are usually smaller, narrower and sessile (without a stalk).

The flowerheads are small with centres of yellow disk/tubular florets surrounded by several (usually 5) small white ray florets. The stalk of the inflorescence is slender and hairy. The flower head is 4-7mm in diameter with 2 or 3 rows of involucral bracts. The 5 inner bracts each support a ray floret. The fruit associated with the ray florets is an achene (a dry indehiscent 1-seeded fruit) that is 2mm long, slightly hairy, with or without a pappus of short bristles. The fruit associated with the disc florets is also an achene but it is 1.8mm long, slightly hairy, with a pappus of hairy-edged scales that are 1.5mm long. Flowers mainly during summer.