Jacobaea incana can reach a height of 5 to 15 cm. This perennial herbaceous plant has a short stem and basal leaves arranged in a rosette. They are silver-gray green thin spatulate to broadly ovate pinnate and hairy. This plant produces corymbs of yellow to orange-yellow flowers of about 1.3 to 1.4 cm. They bloom in summer. Like all members of the family Asteraceae Senecio squalidus has a composite flower head known as a capitulum. What look like single flowers are actually a cluster of florets each petal or ligule being a flower or floret possessing its own stamen and capable of producing the specialized seed of the family Asteraceae the parachute-like achene.