Plants shrubby herbs, up to 1 m tall or more; stems densely pubescent. Leavesopposite near the base, alternate higher up, petiolate; petioles widened and usually auriculate at the aseb; blades usually up to 5 cm long and 3 c wide, ovate-triangular, with coarsely dentate margins and acute tips, lower surface densely whitish pubescent, upper surfaces with appressed pubescence. Heads radiate; peduncles up to 10 cm long; phyllaries about 10-12, 2-3 mm long, in 2 rows, linear-lanceolate, appressed pubescent; ray florets yellow, the rays about 15 mm long and 5 mm wide, tips 3-fid; achenes of disc florets 5-6 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, brownish and pubescent. with a whitish wing 1-1.5 mm wide, extending shortly above the body of the achene.
Verbesina encelioidesis native to the Americas but is not a widespread weed in many parts of the world, including Somaliland.