Jamaican flower bat

It weighs 14–18 g (0.49–0.63 oz). Its total body length is 88 mm (3.5 in). Its forearm is 48 mm (1.9 in) long. On the dorsal side of the forearm, its skin is pink. Its ears are 16 mm (0.63 in) long and 12 mm (0.47 in) wide. The tragus is 8 mm (0.31 in). It has a disc-shaped, basic nose-leaf at the end of its snout. The fur is short, with individual hairs approximately 6 mm (0.24 in) long on its back and 4 mm (0.16 in) long on its belly. Its feet are very large in relation to its body, at 17 mm (0.67 in), and the uropatagium lacks a calcar. Like other members of the Glossophaginae subfamily, it has a long tongue tipped with lingual papillae. Its skull is larger and more robust than most other Glossophagines, though. Fur is silky in texture. Dorsal fur is blond or light gold, while ventral fur is almost white. Its flight membranes are dark brown or almost black in color.

It is only found on Jamaica. It is currently only known to roost in four caves: Marta Tick Cave, Green Grotto Caves, Rock Spring Caverns and the largest population at Stony Hill Cave. Previously, a "sizeable colony"–the only one known for this species–roosted in St. Clair Cave, although the Jamaican flower bat is no longer found there. Per McFarlane 1986, Goodwin 1970 stated that the bat could be found in three caves: St. Clair Cave, Riverhead Cave, and Mt. Plenty Cave. Goodwin also stated that fossilized remains of the species had been found in Wallingford and Runaway Bay Caves.

It was described by American zoologist Gerrit Smith Miller Jr. in 1898. He initially placed it in the genus Reithronycteris, which is now synonymous with Phyllonycteris. The specimen that he described was collected in Jamaica; the date of collection and the exact location are unknown. The type specimen used to describe the species has since been lost. Its species name aphylla was derived from the Ancient Greek word áphullos, meaning "leafless." This is likely in reference to its small nose-leaf.