This species is characterized by its medium-sized petiolate leaves sericeous pubescence on the lower surfaces, pedicellate flowers borne in cymes of 3-7 with rather small bracts, deltate calyx lobes ca. 0.8 mm long, corollas with cylindrical tubes ca. 6 mm long and lobes ca. 2 mm long. It is only known with confidence from the type. The collection locality of the type was not noted, and that specimen has not been seen for this review. Thus, the identity of this name is not completely clear. Gonzalagunia asperula may not be distinct from Gonzalagunia cornifolia, but the type collection differs from that in its quite dense pubescence on the lower leaf surface and flowers pedicellate in branched cymes.
The name Gonzalagunia asperula has been used for specimens with variously subsessile to pedicellate flowers with shorter to similar corolla tubes, and for several specimens with dense villosulous pubescence. The only specimen that confidently can be assigned to Gonzalagunia asperula is the type at BM. As detailed by Kirkbride (1982), the numbering of Triana's specimens was varied so duplicates with the same number were not necessarily from the same gathering while duplicates of the same gathering sometimes had different numbers. Several Triana specimens have been considered duplicates of the type of Gonzalagunia asperula, but these have different numbers and need study to confirm they are isotypes.