Dubautia sherffiana is a shrub reaching up to approximately 2 m in height, with young branches that are slender and either pubescent or hispidulous. The leaves are alternate, though very rarely opposite, and spreading. They are linear-elliptic to elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, measuring 2.5–10 cm in length and 5–17 mm in width. The leaves are typically 5–11-nerved, often exhibiting an irregularly elongate-reticulate pattern. Both surfaces are hispidulous, particularly along the veins and toward the base, though some leaves may be glabrate, at least on the upper surface. The margins are subentire or, more commonly, 2–5-denticulate, often scabrid or papillate, and slightly revolute. The leaf apex is acute or occasionally subacuminate, while the base is acute, tapering to a short petiole approximately 0.1–0.3 cm long, which is often appressed to the stem. The flowers are arranged in heads, typically numbering 15–200, which are grouped in glomerules of usually 3–6. These are further arranged in decompound, lax to congested, elongate to corymbose inflorescences ranging from 2–15 cm long and 1.5–12 cm in width. The peduncles are densely covered in spreading pubescence, hispidulous hairs, and glandular-pubescent above. The ultimate peduncles are usually much less than 1 mm long. The receptacle is flat or nearly so, with a false involucre composed of a single series of 3–5 peripheral, strongly connate receptacular bracts measuring 3–5 mm long, which are glandular and occasionally sparsely pubescent. Some heads may have a reduced bract inside and separate from the cup. Each head contains 3–5 florets, with yellowish-orange corollas that are 2–3 mm long, glabrous, and eglandular. The pappus comprises 16–35 narrowly linear, ascending-setose bristles, usually 2–3 mm long. The fruits are achenes that are typically 3–4 mm long, sparsely pilosulous above and glabrate below. It is found in mesic forests and open ridge habitats between 600-1,150 meters.