Felicia filifolia subsp.
filifolia is a mostly strongly branched and woody, largely hairless, medium-sized shrub of 60–150 cm (24–59 in) high.
It has a dark blackish brown, often slightly fibrous bark.
The leaves are alternately set, clustered on short shoots or uniformly arranged on long shoots, hairless or woolly only on the upper side of the leafbase.
The leaves are more or less succulent, narrowly needle-shaped, 8–30 mm (0.31–1.18 in) long and approximately ½ mm (0.02 in) in diameter, usually with distinctly callous tip, more or less wrinkled, and with resin vessels on the inside.

The flower heads are on the short shoots or at the tip of the long shoots, medium-sized, seated or on up to 10 cm (3.9 in) long stalks.
The involucre is 6–8 mm (0.24–0.31 in) in diameter, and consists of three to four whorls of bracts.
These bracts are overlapping, lance-shaped, hairless, tawny to greenish in colour with the tip often tinged red.
They have a papery margin more or less set with a regular row of hairs.
The outer bracts are 1½ mm (0.06 in) long and ½ mm (0.02 in) wide, those in the middle 3 mm (0.12 in) long and 1 mm (0.04 in) wide, and the inner 5 mm long and ½ mm wide.
Each head has ten to fifteen female, medium or light purple, rarely white, ray florets of about 1 cm long and 1½ mm wide.
These surround numerous bisexual yellow, later burgundy-washed disc florets of 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long.
The two style branches each have a long triangular appendage.
The pappus bristles are numerous, yellowish white in colour, and do not detach.
Although they vary in length, they do not occur in two distinct rows.
The longer pappus bristles have teeth along their length and are 5–7 mm (0.2–0.28 in) long, the shorter scaly and ½–1 mm (0.02–0.04 in) long.
The dry, one-seeded, indehiscent fruits called cypsellae are obovate to elliptic, about 4 mm (0.16 in) long and 1½ mm (0.06 in) wide, evenly silky hairy, with a brownish scaly surface when mature, and a light ochre-coloured marginal ridge.

Felicia filifolia subsp.
bodkinii remains lower than the typical subspecies at about 90 cm (35 in).
The thick, succulent leaves, do not have a narrowed base, are nearly fully round in cross-section, about 2 cm long and 1 mm across, and sit alternately at regularly distances along the long shoots.
Short shoots are failing or few.
The relatively large floral heads have an involucre of about 10 mm in cross section, and sit at the top of the long shoots.
The outer bracts are 1½ mm (0.06 in) long and ½ mm (0.02 in) wide, and the inner 5 mm long and 1.2 mm wide.
Near Graaff Reinet, the subspecies occurs without ray florets.

Felicia filifolia subsp.
schaeferi is a low plant at a maximum of 25 cm (9.8 in).
The succulent leaves are crowded along the stem and up to 15 mm long, often spread forward and narrowed at the base.
The heads are up to 10 cm long stems.

In Felicia filifolia subsp.
schlechteri the floral heads are almost exclusively on 2–10 cm long stalks.
The succulent leaves are round in cross section, and longer than in the typical subspecies at 1.8–4 cm, on average 2½ cm, and are typically oriented upwards, pressed against the stem.

Felicia filifolia is a diploid having nine sets of homologous chromosomes (2n=18).
Felicia filifolia subsp. filifolia is a mostly strongly branched and woody, largely hairless, medium-sized shrub of 60–150 cm (24–59 in) high. It has a dark blackish brown, often slightly fibrous bark. The leaves are alternately set, clustered on short shoots or uniformly arranged on long shoots, hairless or woolly only on the upper side of the leafbase. The leaves are more or less succulent, narrowly needle-shaped, 8–30 mm (0.31–1.18 in) long and approximately ½ mm (0.02 in) in diameter, usually with distinctly callous tip, more or less wrinkled, and with resin vessels on the inside.
The flower heads are on the short shoots or at the tip of the long shoots, medium-sized, seated or on up to 10 cm (3.9 in) long stalks. The involucre is 6–8 mm (0.24–0.31 in) in diameter, and consists of three to four whorls of bracts. These bracts are overlapping, lance-shaped, hairless, tawny to greenish in colour with the tip often tinged red. They have a papery margin more or less set with a regular row of hairs. The outer bracts are 1½ mm (0.06 in) long and ½ mm (0.02 in) wide, those in the middle 3 mm (0.12 in) long and 1 mm (0.04 in) wide, and the inner 5 mm long and ½ mm wide. Each head has ten to fifteen female, medium or light purple, rarely white, ray florets of about 1 cm long and 1½ mm wide. These surround numerous bisexual yellow, later burgundy-washed disc florets of 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long. The two style branches each have a long triangular appendage. The pappus bristles are numerous, yellowish white in colour, and do not detach. Although they vary in length, they do not occur in two distinct rows. The longer pappus bristles have teeth along their length and are 5–7 mm (0.2–0.28 in) long, the shorter scaly and ½–1 mm (0.02–0.04 in) long. The dry, one-seeded, indehiscent fruits called cypsellae are obovate to elliptic, about 4 mm (0.16 in) long and 1½ mm (0.06 in) wide, evenly silky hairy, with a brownish scaly surface when mature, and a light ochre-coloured marginal ridge.
Felicia filifolia subsp. bodkinii remains lower than the typical subspecies at about 90 cm (35 in). The thick, succulent leaves, do not have a narrowed base, are nearly fully round in cross-section, about 2 cm long and 1 mm across, and sit alternately at regularly distances along the long shoots. Short shoots are failing or few. The relatively large floral heads have an involucre of about 10 mm in cross section, and sit at the top of the long shoots. The outer bracts are 1½ mm (0.06 in) long and ½ mm (0.02 in) wide, and the inner 5 mm long and 1.2 mm wide. Near Graaff Reinet, the subspecies occurs without ray florets.
Felicia filifolia subsp. schaeferi is a low plant at a maximum of 25 cm (9.8 in). The succulent leaves are crowded along the stem and up to 15 mm long, often spread forward and narrowed at the base. The heads are up to 10 cm long stems.
In Felicia filifolia subsp. schlechteri the floral heads are almost exclusively on 2–10 cm long stalks. The succulent leaves are round in cross section, and longer than in the typical subspecies at 1.8–4 cm, on average 2½ cm, and are typically oriented upwards, pressed against the stem.
Felicia filifolia is a diploid having nine sets of homologous chromosomes (2n=18).
Felicia filifolia