Celmisias (New Zealand Daisies) are perhaps the best known of New Zealand's alpine flora. They range from robust clumps of strap-shaped leaves to dwarf alpines. Most have softly hairy, grey foliage, and all have white, yellow-centred daisy flowers.

Celmisia allanii is one of the easiest species, and quickly makes a low, spreading mat. The slightly woody stems are covered in softly hairy leaves, pale grey above and almost pure white below. The large (about 3 cm across) white daisy flowers are produced singly on short stems, and there can be huge numbers of them.