Melicope pallida is a tree that grows between 6–10 meters tall, with a stout trunk. The new growth is black–resinous and minutely grayish-white puberulent. The leaves are simple and arranged in whorls of three per node. The blades are narrowly elliptic–ovate or oblong–ovate, measuring 6–21 cm long and 2.5–8 cm wide. They are folded in a broad V-shape, with the apex being obtuse, acute, or short-acuminate and the base rounded to cordate. The surfaces are glabrous and medium green, with paler and dull lower surfaces. The leaves are thin, coriaceous, and brittle, usually crowded toward the ends of the branches. The margins are entire. The upper surface has paler veins, with 12–20 pairs of primary lateral veins that are not prominent. The venation is pinnate, with lateral veins connected by an arched submarginal vein and higher-order veins forming a reticulate pattern. Petioles are ascending and range from 15–40 mm long. Stipules are absent. The flowers are arranged in axillary, paniculate cymes measuring up to 6 cm long, with 15–35 flowers per inflorescence. The peduncles are obscurely quadrangular, 10–25 mm long, and minutely white puberulent. The pedicels are 5–10 mm long, with subulate bracteoles up to 5 mm long. Bracts are small and opposite. Flowers are bisexual (perfect). The calyx consists of four deltate sepals, about 2 mm long, which are puberulent externally and glabrous within, with an acute apex and imbricate arrangement. The corolla consists of four pale yellowish-green oblanceolate petals, 3.5–5 mm long, sparsely puberulent externally and glabrous within, with a valvate arrangement. Stamens are eight, arranged in two distinct whorls. The ovary is superior and glabrous. The style is about 1 mm long, with four cells and four lobes, with connate carpels, only slightly distinct at the apex to almost entirely distinct. Ovules are two per cell, hemitropous, with one ascending. The style terminates in four short stigmatic branches. The fruit consists of distinct 9–10 mm long follicles and collectively measure 17–21 mm wide. The exocarp is glabrous and somewhat glaucous, especially when immature, and the endocarp is glabrous. The carpels dehisce along the upper suture. Seeds are two per follicle and approximately 3.5 mm long. When ripe, the seeds are glossy black, crustaceous, and ovoid, sometimes angled from compression. The embryo is straight within a fleshy endosperm with a short radicle. The cotyledons are compressed and ovate; the putamen is brown and warty. It is found in diverse mesic forests between 490–610 meters.