Dubautia plantaginea ssp. magnifolia, a member of the Asteraceae (sunflower) family, is a shrub or small tree up to 7 m (23 ft) tall; stems glabrous (smooth), occasionally sparsely strigose (with stiff flat hairs). Leaves are opposite, oblong-lanceolate (longer than wide; either with parallel sides or with widest point below the middle), 8 to 26 cm (3.2 to10 in) long, 0.7 to 4.5 cm (0.3 to 1.8 in) wide, glabrous, with toothed margins. Flower heads are up to 500 or more in paniculate inflorescences (branched, with flowers maturing from the bottom up), 6 to 30 cm (2.4 to 12 in) long, 6 to 30 cm (2.4 to 12) wide, and yellowish to purple with age. Achenes (dry fruiting capsules) are 2.5 to 4 mm (0.1 to 0.2 in) long.