This species is characterized by its coriaceous elliptic to obovate leaves, paired axillary inflorecences borne below the stem apex, well developed peduncles and primary axes, flowers that are subsessile to shorly pedicellate and subtended by well developed bracts and involucels, calyx limb with rather well developed narrowly triangular lobes, red corollas with tubes 11-17.5 mm long and the lobes strongly reflexed, and 5-6-locular ovaries and fruits. The leaves are broady obtuse to rounded or shallowly emarginate at the apex, and whitened on the lower surface by densely canescent venation that covers the areoles between the raised veins. The involucels have two decussate pairs of fused triangular bracts or lobes, with the longer ones 2-4 mm long and the shorter ones half as long. These involucels are persistent on the fruits.

Retiniphyllum secundiflorum is distinctive in its leaves, axillary inflorescences, relatively well developed narrow bracts and calyx lobes. It is similar in these features to Retiniphyllum francoanum of Colombia, which however differs in several features including shorter inflorescences and bract, shorter corolla lobes, 7-8-locular ovaries and fruits, and winged rather than ridged pyrenes.