Melicope puberula is a shrub or small tree growing 3–10 m tall, with new growth densely yellowish brown tomentose, becoming glabrate with maturity. The leaves are simple and arranged oppositely. The blades are narrowly elliptic to elliptic or elliptic–obovate, measuring 6–17 cm long and 3–6 cm wide. The apex is rounded, usually emarginate, while the base is cuneate to rounded. The upper surfaces are glabrous, whereas the lower surfaces are sparsely to moderately pilose. The blades are coriaceous, with entire margins. The primary lateral veins number 14–18 pairs and are connected by an arched vein 1–6 mm from the margin. The venation is pinnate, with lateral veins connected by an arched submarginal vein and the higher-order venation forming a reticulate pattern. The petioles are 20–30 mm long, and stipules are absent. The flowers are arranged in tomentose, axillary cymes with approximately five flowers per inflorescence. The peduncles measure 8–14 mm long, and pedicels are 8–9 mm long. Bracts are small and opposite. The flowers can be bisexual (perfect) or functionally unisexual, with the plants being monoecious when unisexual flowers are present. The calyx consists of four imbricate sepals. In pistillate flowers, the sepals are ovate, about 4.5 mm long, and appressed puberulent. The corolla consists of four valvate petals; in pistillate flowers, the petals are deltate, approximately 6 mm long, and glabrous. There are eight stamens arranged in two whorls, distinct and reduced but always present in functionally pistillate flowers. The ovary is superior, with four cells and four lobes. The carpels are connate, only slightly distinct at the apex to almost entirely distinct. The ovules are two per cell, hemitropous, with one ascending. The style terminates in four short stigmatic branches. The ovary is puberulent in pistillate flowers, and the style measures about 2 mm long, sparsely pilose toward the base. The fruit is a dark red capsule, 14–20 mm wide, with carpels connate for about half their length and measuring 7–10 mm long. The exocarp is sparsely to moderately puberulent, while the endocarp is sparsely short–villous. The carpels dehisce along the upper suture. The seeds are 1–2 per carpel, about 5–6 mm long, glossy black when ripe, crustaceous, and ovoid, 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 mesic to wet forests between 1,070–1,220 meters.