This species is characterized by its slender habit with relatively small narrow leaves, caducous stipules with well developed tubular sheaths with an arista on each interpetiolar side, terminal, subsesslie, solitary flowers enclosed by a well developed stipule and often also two foliaceous bracts (or reduced leaves), rather small white corollas with the tube as long as or longer than the lobes, and subglobose to oblate somewhat small fruits.

Faramea capulifolia is similar to Faramea cobana of northern Central America and Faramea myrticifolia of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, but both differ in their long stipule aristas and flowers usually borne in groups. Faramea capulifolia is also similar to Faramea parvula of South America, with prolonged branches bearing smaller lanceolate leaves.