Cyrtandra polyantha, a member of the Gesneriaceae (African violet) family, is an unbranched or few-branched shrub 1 to·3 m (3 to 10 ft) in height. Its leathery, elliptic, unequal leaves are 5 to 16 cm (2 to 6.3 in) long and 1.8 to 5.2 cm (0.7 to 2 in) wide and attached oppositely along the stems. The upper surface of the leaves is conspicuously wrinkled and usually hairless, with the lower surface moderately to densely covered with pale brown hairs. Seven·to 12 flowers are grouped in branched clusters in the leaf axils. The white petals, fused to form a cylindrical tube about 12 mm (0.5 in) long, emerge from a radially symmetrical calyx, 5 mm (0.2 in) long that is cleft from one-half to two-thirds its length. Each calyx lobe, narrowly triangular in shape, is sparsely hairy on the outside and hairless within. The fruits are white oval berries about 1.6 cm (0.6 in) long that contain many seeds about 0.5 mm (0.02 in) long.