Typically, plants grow clustered together forming large mats where individual plants are indistinguishable. Introduced from New Zealand. Numerous species and varieties or hybrid populations of Acaena are described in New Zealand, and opinions differ as to their distinction. Pale biddy-biddy may be naturalized as a weed to an uncertain extent, but A. anserinifolia has not escaped cultivation. Populations of biddy-biddy were previously misidentified as A. anserinifolia .
Cotyledons spatulate, stalked.
Subsequent leaves with a gradual increase in leaflet number, from 5 to 11. Seedlings are killed by anaerobic conditions in water saturated soils. Leaves alternate , once pinnately compound , typically 2-6 cm long. Upper surfaces of leaflets shiny, glabrous or sparsely hairy. Lower surfaces paler, sparsely to densely hairy on the veins and margins.