This species is characterized by its medium-sized elliptic petiolate leaves, somewhat papery well developed stipules with strigose adaxial pubescence (i.e., between the stipule and the stem), paniculiform pyramidal inflorescences with the axes pilosulous, sessile flowers borne in subglobose subcapitate groups of 7-20+, white corollas with tubes 0.3-0.6 cm long, and subglobose purple-black fruits. The calyx limbs are shallowly lobed to subtruncate, and both the calyx limb and the ovary portion of the flower are densely pilosulous. The inflorescences are subsessile to shortly pedunclate, and subtended by 2-4 closely set nodes that each have a pair of stipules, but these nodes lack developed leaves or internodes. The inflorescences are often reduced with quite short peduncles and axes when flowering starts, and then expand as the fruits develop. The flower and fruit groups often appear umbelliform, or as globose heads.

Ixora peruviana is similar to Ixora floribunda of Cuba, central America, and coastal northern South America, which has subsessile flowers in subcapitate groups or short cymes.

The names Cephalanthus breviflorus and Cephalanthus probably need lectotypification. These names were published simultaneously; they were synonymized by Standley (1936), who chose the name Cephalanthus peruvianus for this species. The two Cephalanthus species were originally separated by corolla size, 6 mm vs. 8-10 mm long, but corolla size is now documented as a continuous range even within local areas by numerous more moden collections.