As noted by Bremekamp, this is one of the most commonly collected species of Psychotria in Madagascar. It is characterized by its small, usually symmetrically elliptic to broadly elliptic leaves that are shiny generally on both surfaces and have 3-5 pairs of secondary veins that are not or only weakly visible and no acarodomatia; its small bilobed stipules; pedunculate several-flowered cymes with small white to yellow flowers; and small ellipsoid fruits that become white then often purple to blue-black. Bremekamp described the leaves as having three or four pairs of secondary veins, but more variation in this feature is now documented. Bremekamp noted also that there is some variation in leaf size and shape, which remains to be surveyed in detail; in particular plants from the Ranomafana area are generally are more slender with narrower leaves (e.g., Rakoto 418, Phillipson 2153), while those from north of here often have broadly elliptic to suborbicular leaves. A number of isotype collections of Uragoga ankafinensis are distributed in various European herbaria, and the identity of this species is clear but the holotype was presumably destroyed at B so a lectotype will be needed at some point. In addition to the localities listed above, this species has been frequently collected in the Manjakatompo Forest station, and also documented from the Mandraka Biodiversity site.

Psychotria ankafinensis has been confused sometimes with Psychotria coursii, which be recognized by its obovate leaves that are widest above the middle, its longer peduncles, and its longer corollas. Psychotria ankafinensis is also sometimes confused with some other commonly collected, small-leaved species, Psychotria reducta and Psychotria aegelioides, which can be separated by their oblanceolate leaves with regularly developed (though small) acarodomatia and consistently yellow corollas. Psychotria ankafinensis is also similar to Psychotria baronii, and these were considered closely related by Bremekamp; however Psychotria baronii differs in its slightly larger leaves that are elliptic to narrowly so and have generally five to seven pairs of secondary veins that are evident and often prominulous abaxially. Psychotria ankafinensis has also been confused with Psychotria scabrida, particularly the more southern form of Psychotria ankafinensis; however Psychotria scabride differs in its usually smaller leaves, stems with scabrous pubescence that dries whitened, and fewer-flowered inflorescences (though the infructescences of Psychotria ankafinensis) often ripen very few fruits, vs. smooth glabrous stems in Psychotria ankafinesis.

Psychotria ankafinensis has been confused in particular with Psychotria humbertii. These are separable basically only by pyrene morphology, see the discussion under that species for details. Psychotria ankafinensis is also similar to Psychotria tsarataranensis, which generally has hirtellous stipules and is found at relatively high elevations in northern Madagascar.