This species is robust, with leaves that are obtuse to rounded at the base, long pedunculates, inflorescences with short monochasial axes, and fruits ca. 1 cm in diameter. The corollas of the Jamaican plants are 15-25 mm long, while those of the South American plants are 35-60 mm long. The leaves are sometimes densely silvery-tomentulose-strigillose abaxially, but also may be glabrescent. The plants of Jamaica are disjunct from those of the Guianas and different in flower size; they are otherwise similar moprhologically but perhaps the relationships of these two regional populations deserves further study. 

Guettarda argentea seems to be similar to Guettarda frangulifolia and Guettarda longifolia of Jamaica, Guettarda nashii of the Bahamas, and Guettarda viburnoides of eastern to central South America. The South American plants of Guettarda argentea are similar also to Guettarda platyphylla, of eastern Brazil.