Putaputāwētā is a small tree reaching about 10 m tall. It forms a slender trunk up to 30 cm across, covered in rough, corky, mottled grey-white bark that is often knobbly from insect boring. Young branches show a distinct zig-zag shape that becomes less obvious with age, and the twigs display clear lenticels.

Leaves have stalks around 1 cm long, and the blades are thin to slightly leathery, broad-elliptic to almost round, 4–6 × 2–3 cm. They are darkest along the major veins and yellow-green between them. The base is rounded (sometimes uneven), the margins finely serrated, and the tip pointed or blunt. Leaf stalks, inflorescences, and flowers are all softly hairy.