This species is characterized by its somewhat slender habit; its rather small, oblanceolate, generally rather acute leaves with often small but regularly developed domatia; its sitpules that are shortly united around the stem and have two well developed lobes on each side; its rather short to well developed peduncles with short, several-flowered, cymose inflorescences; its somewhat well developed calyx limb; its short yellow corollas; and its rather well developed, red, generally subglobose fruits. Psychotria retiphlebia is similar to Psychotria reducta and may not be distinct from that; see the discussion of these and other similar species under Psychotria reducta. Several specimens of Psychotria retiphlebia, including at least one paratype collection, have distinctive small yellow lichens or perhaps some sort of parasite on the leaves. Psychotria retiphlebia is similar in general aspect to Psychotria sonocorova, which differs in its interpetiolar, usually larger stipules with well developed triangular lobes, its stiff-textured shiny leaves, and its habitat generally in dry sites.

As treated by Bremekamp Psychotria retiphlebia is widely distributed, and as circumscribed here it is also somewhat polymorphic in leaf size and shape, visibility and amount of reticulation of the leaf veins, and degree of branching of the inflorescences. It is possible that more than one species is included among the modern specimens identified with this name, but further work will be needed to resolve that and is beyond the scope of the present survey.