This species is characterized by its medium-sized habit, ovate stipules that are shortly fused around the stemp, sparsely branched inflorescences, and rather well developed calyx limbs, corollas, and fruits. It is similar to Psychotria flava, Psychotria pleuropoda, and Psychotria monteverdensis.
This species was studied by McCartha et al. (2019) in their study of nickel hyperaccumulation, who found a number of plants hyperaccumulated and characterized it as a facultative accumulator.