Rigid, stoutly branched shrub up to 1.2 m. Leaves are 3-nate, mostly on short side branchlets; flowers tubular, yellow, orange or red, 6-17mm long with far exserted anthers that hang downwards.

Latin: coccum = the cochineal insect, a scarlet dye; referring to the red form of this species.

The scarlet form was named by Linnaeus in 1753.