Cyrtandra paludosa var. paludosa is a shrub species growing to heights of 1–5 meters, with stems ranging from unbranched to few-branched, characterized by a rounded to angular shape, and covered with multicellular hairs or becoming smoother (glabrate) over time. The leaves are arranged oppositely, or occasionally in whorls of 3–4 per node, and are more or less well-spaced along the stem’s upper (4–)6–22 nodes. The leaves at each node are unequal but symmetrical, predominantly narrowly elliptic in shape. However, they can also be elliptic–lanceolate or oblanceolate, measuring 4–34 cm in length and 0.9–8(–13) cm in width. They have acuminate to attenuate apexes and cuneate to attenuate bases, and their upper surfaces are glabrous or glabrate. In contrast, the lower surfaces range from glabrous to sparsely appressed pilose along the principal veins. The leaf margins are coarsely crenate to serrate–crenate, with the upper surface often featuring deeply impressed veins, particularly in plants from windblown sites. The petioles measure 0.7–5(–8) cm in length and can sometimes clasp the stem or be perfoliate at the base. The flowers appear in cymes of 1–7(–15), emerging from the leaf axils, with a sparsely brown pilose to glabrate surface, peduncles measuring (1–)3–14 mm in length, and pedicels 6–35 mm long. The flowers are perfect, with a zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetric) calyx and fusiform in the bud, becoming pale green and measuring (7–)10–20 mm in length in anthesis. The corolla is usually bilabiate, white, with a narrow funnelform tube that is curved near the middle, measuring 16–20(–24) mm long. Stamens include two fertile upper stamens and others that are staminodial, with coherent anthers positioned in the throat of the corolla tube. The fruit is a fleshy or firm berry, white, ellipsoid, measuring 1.6–3 cm in length, and glabrous, often tipped by the persistent stylar beak. Seeds are numerous, ellipsoid, and minute, measuring 0.4–0.5 mm long, with a reticulate surface. It occurs in various moist environments, from diverse mesic to wet forests, and occasionally in mesic valleys between 180-1280 meters.