The flowers of Lecythis minor are arranged on a rachis, being 10–35 cm (3.9–13.8 in) long, and the inflorescences are white to yellow, green while budding.

The fruit of the tree have a distinct cup shape representative of the genus Lecythis, and are spherical with a 7.5–11 mm (0.30–0.43 in) thick pericarp.

It ranges from the Maracaibo lowlands of Venezuela to the northern coast of Colombia where it ascends the Magdalena and Cauca valleys.

It occurs in dry, open, and disturbed habitats, where it grows as a small and many-branched tree.

[9] The seeds taste agreeable, but can induce nausea, anxiety, and giddiness, and can cause loss of hair and fingernails.