S. trilobata is perennial and grows to 45-60 cm high. Stems are green, rounded, rooting at nodes, 10-30 cm long, the flowering portions ascending, coarsely strigose to spreading hirsute, sometimes subglabrous. Leaves are medium textured, fleshy, usually 4-9 cm long (1.5-) 2-5 cm wide, simple obovate, irregularly toothed or serrate, usually with a pair of lateral lobes. The leaf arrangement is opposite to subopposite. Leaf venation is bowed and brochidodrome. Leaves are green in colour and do not change colour during autumn in the USA. S. trilobata usually flowers throughout the year. Flowers, solitary, arise in the leaf axils at any height but appear to have the most blossoms at about 10 cm above ground level. Peduncles 3-10 cm long, involucre, campanulate-hemispherical, 1 cm high; chaffy bracts lanceolate, rigid, ray florets often 8-13 per head, yellow in colour, rays 6-15 mm long; disk corolla 4-5 mm long; pappus a crown of short fimbriate scales (HEAR, 2008). Achenes tuberculate, 4-5 mm long with a brown, dry and hard fruit cover. Fruits are inconspicuous.