This species is characterized by its densely strigose to glabrescent leaves and stems; several-flowered, pedunculate inflorescences with generally 1-2 clusters or monochasial axes that are not markedly prolonged; tubular, shallowly lobed, well developed calyx limb; robust corollas about 20-30 mm long; and slender capsules 15-100 x 3-5 mm. Joosia pulcherrima is simliar to Joosia dielsiana, which has somewhat smaller flowers (corolla 14-16 mm long), smaller capsules (4-34 mm long), and inflorescences that begin with a rather small form as in Joosia pulcherrima but characteristically become much expanded, with 2-4 monochasial axes that elongate markedly. Joosia pulcherrima was included within the circumscription of Joosia dielsiana by Andersson (Andersson & Taylor, 1994) in the Flora of Ecuador, but subsequently in a revision of Joosia (Andersson, 1997) he separated these species and reported Joosia dielsiana only from Peru. Plants from Ecuador and some from northern Peru are densely strigose with rather robust flowers and fruits while some plants from northern Ecuador through central Peru have less dense strigillose pubescence and more slender flowers and fruits, and the circumscription of this species may deserve review when more flowers are available from the plants in central Peru.

Joosia pulcherrima has previously also been circumscribed to include, or sometimes confused with, several other species: see the discussions under Joosia capitata and Joosia confusa.