It has smooth bark, glossy green, lance-shaped, curved or elliptical leaves, flower buds in groups of between nine and fifteen, white flowers and cup-shaped, hemispherical or conical fruit.

pauciflora is a tree or mallee that typically grows to a height of 30 m (98 ft) and forms a lignotuber.

The bark is smooth, grey, white or cream-coloured with patches of yellow and usually has insect scribbles.

The fruit is a woody cup-shaped, hemispherical or conical capsule 5–11 mm (0.20–0.43 in) long and wide with the valves near rim level or below it.

It also occurs from coastal areas such as the Mornington Peninsula to all but the highest altitudes in the Australian Alps.