This species has a slender, usually glabrescent habit, elliptic to oblanceolate leaves, short cymose inflorescences that are borne with and shortly below the leaves, rather small flowers, rotate white to yellow corollas, and subglobose to ellipsoid fruits. This is a very characteristic species of Hoffmannia, without unusual or notable distinguishing features. The fruits are generally narrowly ellipsoid at first, and then become more broadly ellipsoid and often then subglobose. Hoffmannia longipetiolata is common in many areas of southern Central America, and morphologically somewhat variable. The plants included here have been separated into several species by some authors, but those groups are not completely distinct and this species is more widely circumscribed here. Plants from Ecuador Peru are included here in Hoffmannia longipetiolata provisionally, and generally match this species but are in need of further study as to their identity.

Hoffmannia longepetiolata is similar to Hoffmannia nicotianifolia, which is primarily found in Mexico and northern Central America, and their separation is subtle and difficult to quantify but these species seems consistently distinct, in particular Hoffmannia nicotianifolia has a pedunculate umbelliform or corymbiform inflorescence, while Hoffmannia longipetiolata has a short peduncle and irregularly branched axes.

Hoffmannia longipetiolata is also similar to Hoffmannia pearcei of southern Peru and Bolivia, and their distinction is not entirely clear. Hoffmannia longipetiolata is also similar to Hoffmannia pauciflora of central Colombia through central northern Venezuela; these may deserve more study as to their distinctions. Hoffmannia sprucei and Hoffmannia valerioi are also similar, but has orange to red corollas with a developed tube that is at least as long as the lobes. Hoffmannia longipetiolata is also quite similar to Hoffmannia asperula and Hoffmannia cercidifolia, and one or both of these may not be distinct; further study is also needed to evaluate these.