Shell of medium to large size for genus (30-51 mm), ovate with turbinate spire of 3-5 convex whorls about ¼ height of shell. Protoconch of one, somewhat irregular and flattened whorl, sunken below succeeding whorls and merging abruptly into teleoconch whorls. Teleoconch whorls immediately anterior to protoconch regularly convex; weak shoulder developing on penultimate whorl in many specimens, increasing slightly in strength on last whorl, in some specimens absent. Spiral sculpture of fine flattened lirae covering entire whorl developing immediately anterior to protoconch; on early whorls about as wide as interspaces: on last whorl interspaces wider than lirae. Axial sculpture of strong to weak, somewhat irregular tubercles on shoulder of last whorl, occasionally entirely lacking, 8-12 visible on last whorl. Aperture lenticular, slightly notched posteriorly, prominently notched anteriorly; columella arched, covered with thick callus that forms thick plate on ventral surface of last whorl and extends posteriorly, not in contact with the whorl surface on many specimens; outer lip considerably thickened with callus continuous with that of columella, thin layer of callus obscuring underlying sculpture extending from outer lip abaperturally for 1/8 to 1/2 of whorl, but only confined to 10 mm behind lip in most specimens. Outer lip subrectangular in outline rather than bisinuous. Siphonal fasciole moderately developed.

The outline of the outer lip of this species is not strongly bisinuous and does not project adaperturally at the anterior third as in most other species of Tylospira. At this point there is only a slight flexure of the lip. In this respect it closely resembles T glomerata from the Fossil Bluff Sandstone.