This species is characterized by its rather dense villosulous pubescence, meidum-sized lanceolate to ovate petiolate leaves, pedicellate flowers borne singly or in fasciculate groups of 2-3, calyx limbs ca. 1 mm long and divided for half or more into narrowly triangular lobes, white corollas with cylindrical tubes 5.5-7 mm long and lobes 3-5 mm long, and somewhat small with fruits with 4 locules. The calyx lobes vary from equal on a flower to unequal with one lobe much longer, and possibly this lobe enlarges as the fruits develop.

Gonzalagunia whitei has been confused with Gonzalagunia bunchosioides, which differs in its generally subsessile flowers, otbuse to rounded calyx lobes, and smaller corollas, with the lobes ca. 1.5 mm long. Gonzalagunia whitei is similar to Gonzalagunia villosa, which however has hirsute pubescence and quite short petioles and is found at mostly lower elevations in central Peru.