This species is characterized by its glabrescent to puberulous leaves and stems; somewhat small to medium-sized, obovate to elliptic  leaves; obovate to ligulate, resinous, caducous stipules 20-40 mm long; multifflowered, quite lax inflorescences with the flowers on pedicels 1.5-5 mm long, a ltruncate to shallowly lobed or split calyx limb 0.8-1 mm long; a corolla with the tube 0.5-0.8 mm long and ligulate lobes 2-2.5 mm long; anthers 1-2 mm long; and capsules 3--4 mm in diameter. The stipules are densely pustulose to puberulous externally, and markedly resinous internally with the resin sometimes coating the outside of the node. The leaves of most specimens are relatively smaller and narrower than the average for Elaeagia. 

Eleaegia glossostipula was included by Maldonado (2005) in a broad circumscription of Elaeagia mariae, but separated by Taylor (2012). These plants are distinctive in aspect, and found in a recognizable biogeographic region and are provisionally separated here pending further study. The inclusion of these plants and understanding of their systematics within Maldonado's Eleagia mariae is problematic at present because of the apparent heterogeneity of that group. 

Elaeagia glossostipula is most similar to Elaeagia cubensis of Cuba, and apparently similar and to and perhaps not distinct from Elaeagia alterniramosa of western Colombia. Elaeagia glossostipula is also similar to Eleagia chiriquensis, and their relationship may deserve further study.