Melicope barbigera is a small tree growing between 3 and 12 meters tall, with new growth that is grayish and appressed puberulent. The leaves are simple and arranged oppositely. The blades are slightly folded, narrowly elliptic, rarely elliptic, measuring 8–20(–30) cm long and 5–6.5(–9) cm wide. The apex is obtuse to bluntly acute, usually with a short mucro and sometimes slightly emarginate. The base is rounded to subtruncate and slightly emarginate. The surfaces are dull green, weakly scented when crushed, and chartaceous with a waxy scurf. The margins are entire. The primary lateral veins, usually numbering 12–16 pairs, are inconspicuous except for being paler than the surface and are connected by a strongly arched vein 1–8 mm from the margin. The lower surface is densely soft villous in a line along each side of the midrib and less on the surface away from the midrib. The venation is pinnate, with lateral veins connected by an arched submarginal vein and higher-order venation forming a reticulate pattern. Petioles measure 25–70 mm long. Stipules are absent. The flowers are arranged in cymes of 3–5, grayish and appressed puberulent. Peduncles measure 20–25 mm long, and pedicels range from 1–5 mm long. The bracts and bracteoles are 6–8 mm long and caducous, while the bracts are small and opposite. The calyx consists of four sepals that are narrowly ovate, 3–4 mm long, grayish-appressed puberulent, with an acute apex and imbricate arrangement. The corolla consists of four deltate-ovate petals, 5–8 mm long, grayish-appressed puberulent, and valvate. The stamens number eight, arranged in two whorls, and are distinct but reduced in functionally pistillate flowers. The ovary is superior, puberulent, four-celled, and four-lobed, with connate carpels but slightly distinct at the apex to almost entirely distinct. Each cell contains two ovules that are hemitropous, with one ascending. The style is singular, terminating in four short stigmatic branches. The fruit consists of four follicles measuring 20–40 mm wide. These are somewhat recurved, sometimes with one or more abortive, measuring 10–20 mm long, thin-walled, and with conspicuous veins. The exocarp is glabrate, while the endocarp is glabrous. The seeds are 1–2 per carpel, 4–7 mm long, glossy black when ripe, crustaceous, ovoid, and sometimes angled from compression. The embryo is straight in fleshy endosperm, with a short radicle and compressed, ovate cotyledons. The putamen is brown and warty. It is found in diverse mesic forests between 850-1,220 meters.