This species is characterized by its pilosulous pubescence, medium-sized obovate leaves, stipules ca. 8 mm long, subsessile flowers, calyx lobes ca. 1 mm long, corolla 2-4 mm long, and capsules ca. 13  x 3-3.5 mm. It was described from fruiting material, and seems best marked by its leaves that are densely pilosulous at least below. This sppecies may be sometimes confused with Alseis floribunda, and perhaps some of the densely pubescent plants included in that species should be compared with Alseis gardneri. The distribution given here is provisional and based in part on the Brazil Catalogue. 

Humid Atlantic forest in southeastern Brazil, with the type from Rio de Janeiro and the Brazil Catalogue also reporting this from Espírito Santo and another specimen seen from Bahia that probably represents this species.