Cyanea crispa is a terrestrial shrub with fleshy, unbranched stems that are 0.3–1.3 meters long and may be unarmed, muricate, or aculeate. It features simple, alternate leaves with broadly obovate blades, measuring 30–75 cm in length and 9–16 cm in width. The leaves have an acute to acuminate apex, glabrous upper surfaces, and may have glabrous or pubescent lower surfaces. The margins are undulate and range from callose-crenulate to entirely smooth, with 0.8–4 cm long petioles. The flowers appear in pubescent inflorescences of 3–8 flowers, with peduncles measuring 20–30 mm long and pedicels 10–20 mm long. The hypanthium is obconical, 8–12 mm long, and pubescent. The calyx is 5-lobed with ovate to oblong lobes, 6-12 mm long and 3-6 mm wide, pubescent, and sometimes overlapping at the base with a cordate shape. The corolla is zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetric), pale magenta with darker stripes, 4-6 cm long, and pubescent. The corolla tube is suberect to strongly arcuate and dorsally cleft about halfway up, with lobes that spread out, sometimes downcurved in the same plane. The staminal column is pale purplish, and glabrous, with dark purple anthers that may be glabrous or sparsely pubescent, opening by longitudinal slits. It produces globose berries that are 10 mm long, containing numerous small, smooth, shiny brown to black seeds, ca. 0.2–0.5(–2) mm long, with a straight, short to spatulate dicotyledonous embryo embedded in oily endosperm. It is found in mesic to wet forests at elevations ranging from 185-730 meters.