Sprawling, hairy shrub up to 20cm. Leaves roughly-hairy, almost stalkless, dark green, wedge-shaped to inversely lance-shaped, margins deeply lobed or toothed. Clusters of flowers in terminal inflorescence; furled petals yellow, covered in star-shaped hairs on the outside; calyx green, hairy.

Fruit is globular and covered with coarse hairs.

Latin: grossularia = the gooseberry; -ulus = diminutive; folium = leaf: referring to likeness of the leaves of this species to the leaves of the gooseberry bush.