Belongs to the monotypic genus.Shrubs or trees to 12 m tall; branches estipulate. Leaves alternate, probably distichous; glabrous; chartaceous or less often chartaceous-coriaceous. Inflorescences axillary or subterminal, racemose, 8- to 23-flowered. Fruits drupaceous, single-seeded, broadly transversely ellipsoidal to subspheroidal. Seeds broadly transversely ellipsoidal; endosperm copious.

Pilgerina differs from Scleropyrum by the number of flowers in the inflorescences; its small, pedicellated flowers and the shape of its fruits. Phylogenetically, it forms a robust clade with the genera Staufferia, Pyrularia, Scleropyrum and Okoubaka (Zhou & al., 2019).