Cyrtandra dentata is a shrub species growing 1.5–5 m tall, characterized by sparingly branched stems that are rounded to angular and either pubescent with multicellular hairs or becoming smoother. The leaves are simple and opposite, situated on the stem’s upper 3–5 nodes. Leaf pairs are somewhat unequal, ranging from very broadly elliptic to suborbicular or broadly ovate to ovate, measuring 9–33 cm in length and 3–17 cm in width. The leaf apex varies from acute to acuminate, and the base ranges from cuneate to truncate or subcordate. The upper leaf surfaces are sparsely hirtellous, while the lower surfaces range from sparsely to moderately velvety short-pilose, with the blades being chartaceous. The leaf margins are coarsely and irregularly serrate or dentate. Petioles are 2.5–17 cm long, with the base sometimes clasping the stem. The flowers occur in open sub-umbelliform cymes of 3–9, arising in the leaf axils, with short-pilose to shaggy pilose peduncles measuring 25–50 mm long and pedicels 15–33 mm long. The flowers are bisexual, featuring a calyx that is 2–5(6)-lobed, nearly actinomorphic, white to green, and 9–20 mm long, with lobes that are narrowly lanceolate to narrowly elliptic-lanceolate. The corolla is usually bilabiate, white, with a 12–25 mm long cylindrical tube and densely white villous. Stamens number five, with the two upper ones being fertile. The ovary is superior, oblong-ovoid, and 2-carpellate with parietal placentation. The fruit is a fleshy or firm white berry, ovoid in shape, 1–2.6 cm long, and densely pilose, often retaining the persistent stylar beak. Seeds are numerous, ellipsoid, and minute, around 0.5 mm long, with a reticulate surface. It inhabits moist, shaded gulch bottoms in mesic valleys between 300–610 meters.