Dubautia waialealae, a member of the Asteraceae (sunflower) family, is a dome or tussock-shaped shrub 10 to 40 cm (0.3 to 1.3 ft) tall. Leaves are alternate, spreading, linear-elliptic to lanceolate, and 2.5 to 10 cm (1 to 4 in) long, 5 to 17 mm (0.2 to 0.7 in) wide, with both surfaces hispidulous (covered with stiff, short hairs). Fifteen to 200 flowers are borne in compact clusters 2 to 15 cm (0.8 to 6 in) long and 1.5 to 12 cm (0.6 to 4.7 in) wide. Corollas are yellowish orange, 2 to 3 mm (0.08 to 0.12 in) long, with 2 to 3 mm (0.08 to 0.12 in) long ascending bristles. Achenes (dry fruiting capsules) are 3 to 4 mm (0.12 to 0.16 in) long, pilosulous (with small soft hairs) above, and glabrate (smooth) below.