Gossypium australe is an endemic woody shrub

Shrub

A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...

, related to cotton

Cotton

Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....

, found in north western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

. Preferring sandy soils near watercourses, it grows to about two or three feet tall.
The leaves are grey and hairy, oval to elliptic, 3 inches long and soft to the touch. Flowers are around 1 - 2 inches long and present a pale pink mauve 'rose' with a deeper shade at the centre.
Fruit are hairy, spherical and contain a bristly seed one sixth of an inch long.

It is sometimes confused with Sturt's Desert Rose Gossypium sturtianum.