This species is characterized by its generally glabrescent habit, short broadly triangular stipules, medium-sized leaves with pilosulous domatia, paniculiform pedunculate inflorescences wtih reduced bracts and the flowers borne in short cymes, rather short subtruncate calyx limbs, rather short corollas with the tube about equal to the lobes, and medium-sized ellipsoid fruits. The corollas generally have tubes 5-6 mm long and obes 5-6 mm long. This is perhaps one of the most widely distributed and commonly collected species of Coussarea.

Coussarea paniculata is notably widespread, but the characters that diagnose it do separate plants that are quite similar in aspect across this range. Further study may show that more than one species is included here but broad sampling of morphology and genetic data will probably be needed for this. The name Coussarea acuminata is synonymized here provisionally. this name was based on a collection with mature fruits that have mostly fallen off the plant, and it agrees with confirmed fruting collections of Coussarea paniculata and that species is otherwise documented from the type region. If the plant named as Coussarea acuminata does represent a different species, that will only be confirmed through study of other, better material from the type region and then matching of this type to the confidently identified material. So far no other Coussarea species with any similarity to Coussarea acuminata has been seen from that region.

Coussarea paniculata is similar to Coussarea albescens, and these are both common and found together in South America; Coussarea albescens can be distinguished by its lack of domatia on the leaves, although on some plants of Coussarea paniculata the domatia are few and rather reduced so all the axils on all the leaves must be checked to confirm the identification. Coussarea paniculata is also similar to Coussarea revoluta, and these also occur in the same regions in parts of South America; Coussarea revoluta can be distinguished by its lack of domatia on the leaves, often slightly longer calyx lobes, and generally shorter peduncles. Coussarea paniculata is also similar to Coussarea locuples, with larger corollas and leaves that lack domatia.

Coussarea paniculata is also similar to Coussarea mexicana of southern Mexico, but Coussarea mexicana can be separated by its reduced axillary buds. In general aspect Coussarea paniculata is also similar to Coussarea veraguensis and some other species of southern Central America and northwestern South America, but those species lack domatia and have completely fused calyptrate stipules. Coussarea paniculata is also similar to Coussarea locuples, with larger corollas and leaves without domatia. Coussarea paniculata is also similar to Coussarea coffeoides, which replaces it in the Atlantic forest. Coussarea paniculata is also similar to Coussarea mapourioides, with longer corollas, and Coussarea violacea, with subsessile inflorescences and leaves with crypt-type domatia. Coussarea paniculata is also similar to Coussarea petiolaris of Colombia, with larger corollas.