Bobea elatior is a tree, or rarely a shrub, that can grow up to 15 meters tall. The young branches are 2–4 mm in diameter toward the apex and are glabrous except above the stipule scars. The leaves are simple and opposite, with blades that are elliptic to obovate, measuring (1.5–)3–15 cm long and (1–)4–5.5(–8) cm wide. The apex of the leaves is acute to obtuse, and the base is acute to long-attenuate. The surfaces are usually glabrous, with domatia that are somewhat elevated, porate, subglabrous, often scattered over the blade, or sometimes absent and are chartaceous to subcoriaceous. The margins are entire, with 7–10 secondary veins on each side of the midrib, often reddish pellucid. The petioles are (5–)10–25(–50) mm long, sometimes winged distally and glabrous. The stipules are ovate to lanceolate, strongly imbricate in the bud, 7–22 mm long, 4–9 mm wide, acute to acuminate, with the upper surface villous toward the base and the lower surface glabrous or slightly pubescent toward the apex. The flowers are staminate and perfect, occurring in cymes of (1–)3–7, with peduncles (22–)30–120 mm long, up to 1-2(–3) mm wide, often strongly compressed and usually erect. Pistillate flowers are solitary or occur in groups of 3 in cymes, with peduncles (22–)30–60(–100) mm long, up to 2(–3) mm wide, often compressed and erect. The bracts and bracteoles are inconspicuous. The flowers are insect-pollinated, bisexual (perfect), functionally unisexual, 4(5)-merous, and often heterostylous. The calyx limb is persistent in fruit. Staminate and perfect flowers have a calyx limb funnelform to tubular, truncate to broadly 2-lobed and boat-shaped, 1–5 mm long, and usually glabrous. Pistillate flowers have a similar calyx limb. The corolla is greenish to yellowish or sometimes white. In staminate and perfect flowers, the corolla is salverform, with the tube (5–)7.5–10(–12) mm long, 1.5–2.5 mm wide, glabrous externally, pubescent toward the base within, and the lobes are 4–5 mm long, 2.5–4 mm wide and obtuse to rounded. The corolla is funnelform to salverform in pistillate flowers, with the tube 6–9 mm long and 1.5–3 mm wide. A nectary disk is usually present. In staminate and perfect flowers, the anthers are sessile in the corolla throat, 3–5 mm long, and up to 0.8 mm wide. Pistillate flowers have staminodes about 2.5 mm long. The anthers are dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits. The ovary is inferior, occasionally partly so, or very rarely superior. In staminate and perfect flowers, the abortive ovary is up to 4 mm long, 2-celled (or 4-celled in perfect flowers?), with a subterete style up to 5 mm long, glabrous, and stigmas that are 2, linear, and up to 1.5 mm long. Pistillate flowers have a globose ovary about 2.5 mm long, (6–)8–12-celled, with a style 6.5–9.5 mm long, and stigmas that are 8–12, linear, unequal, 0.5–2.5 mm long, exserted, lobed or capitate, dry or occasionally wet. The fruit is drupaceous, depressed subglobose, or often laterally compressed and measures 6–20 mm in diameter. The pyrenes are (2–)8–12, thick-walled, and 1-seeded. These seeds lack endosperm. It is found in mesic valleys and mesic to wet forests at elevations ranging from 250 – 1100 meters.