Dubautia imbricata ssp. imbricata, a member of the Asteraceae (sunflower) family, is a shrub to 2.5 m (8 ft) tall, forming dense clumps up to 2 m (6.6 ft) across, with glabrous stems. Leaves are opposite, oblong-lanceolate, 6 to15 cm (2.4 to 6 in) long and 0.8 to 2.5 cm (0.3 to 1.0 in) wide. Flower heads are 10 to 35 in cymosely (terminal flower blooms first) clustered, paniculate (branched), nearly glabrous inflorescences, 4 to 10 cm (1.6 to 4 in) long, 2 to 9 mm (0.8 to 3.5 in) wide, and with false bracts 7 to 9 mm (0.3 to 0.35 in) long. Corollas are yellow and finely glandular on the tube. Achenes are 2 to 3.5 mm (0.08 to 0.1 in) long with coarse hairs.