Cyrtandra oenobarba, a member of the Gesneriaceae (African violet) family, is a low, decumbent (low to the ground with tip ascending), fleshy subshrub with stems becoming subterranean (growing below ground). Leaves are opposite, appearing as a tuft on a portion of the above ground stem, and the leaf axils have a tuft of reddish brown hairs. Leaves are broadly elliptic to ovate (narrowly oval to egg-shaped), 10 to 31 cm (4 to 12 in) long, and 2 to 13.5 cm (0.8 to 5.3 in) wide. The upper leaf surface has sparse long-villous reddish brown hairs, while the lower surface has sparse to moderate-villous reddish brown hairs. Terminal flowers bloom first and are arranged in dense clusters arising from the leaf axils, and moderately brown villous throughout. The calyx is zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical), fusiform (spindle-shaped) in the bud, tipped by a beak about 4 to 10 mm (0.16 to 0.4 in) long, with the tube about 10 to 12 mm (0.4 to 0.5 in) long. The corolla is white. Berries are cylindrical and 1.6 mm (0.6 in) long.