Heads terminal, solitary or clustered together in groups of up to 6; heads hemispherical; involucral bracts membranous, transparent, yellow or brown, without an herbaceous base; receptacle flat, scales absent. Florets mainly tubular bisexual, yellow. Anthers with a concave apical appendage, and short tails. Style branches truncate, the inner surfaces papillose.
Achenes terete, with small glandular papillae; pappus of free bristles, entirely barbellate or subplumose at the base or apex.
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | Leaves spathulate to obovate, 10–25 mm wide at the broadest point | Chrysocephalum apiculatum |
| Leaves linear to lanceolate, usually less than 4 mm wide | 2 |
| 2 | Heads in clusters of 3 or more; involucral bracts varying in size | Chrysocephalum baxteri |
| Heads solitary, terminal on leafy branches; involucral bracts all approximately equal in length
Back to 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Achenes densely papillose; involucral bracts with very short cilia on the margins of the herbaceous base | Chrysocephalum pterochaetum |
| Achenes glabrous or sparsely papillose; involucral bracts with long woolly hairs on the margins of the herbaceous base
Back to 2 | 4 |
| 4 | Heads 7–15 mm diam.; intermediate involucral bracts the longest | Chrysocephalum apiculatum |
| Heads 6–7 mm diam.; inner involucral bracts the longest
Back to 3 | Chrysocephalum semipapposum |
