Myristica globularia Lamarck, Mém. Acad. Sci. (Paris) 1788: 162. 1791; Knema corticosa Loureiro; K. corticosa var. tonkinensis Warburg; K. missionis (Wallich ex King) Warburg; K. sphaerula (J. D. Hooker) Airy Shaw; K. wangii Hu; M. corticosa (Loureiro) J. D. Hooker & Thomson; M. glaucescens J. D. Hooker, p.p.; M. lanceolata Wallich; M. missionis Wallich ex King; M. sphaerula J. D. Hooker.

Trees to 15 m tall, 10-25 cm d.b.h.; bark grayish brown, ± flaking; branches spreading or slightly drooping, juvenile branches with pubescence of short stellate hairs ca. 0.5 mm or less, glabrescent, tawny or black. Petioles 8-15 mm, glabrescent; leaf blade oblong to lanceolate, 10-20(-24) × 2-4(-7) cm, abaxially pallid, adaxially lucid, papery, glabrous, sometimes along veins with nearly scurfy pubescence, base broadly cuneate to ± rounded, apex acute or acuminate; lateral veins 12-20 pairs. Male flowers (2-)6-9, tufted on tubercular peduncles 3-8 mm; pedicel 4-11 mm; buds globose, 3-5 mm in diam., with hairs 0.2-0.5 mm; perianth lobes 3; bracteole inserted halfway or higher on pedicel; anthers 10-16, sessile. Female inflorescences 0.5-1 cm. Female flowers ovoid-oblong, ca. 4 mm; pedicel 2-4 mm; bracteole subapical; style ca. 1.5 mm. Fruiting pedicel 3-10 mm. Fruits 1-5, ellipsoid, 1.5-2(-2.5) × 1-1.5 cm, with hairs ca. 0.5 mm or less, glabrescent, at base often with persistent perianth; pericarp 1-2 mm thick. Aril red, enclosing seed or at apex slightly open. Fl. Dec-Mar of next year and fr. Jul-Sep at low altitude, fl. and fr. Jul-Sep at high altitude.

The seeds contain ca. 27% fat, which is used in industry.

Low hilly forests, moist mountain slopes; 200-1000 m. Yunnan (Cangyuan, Hekou, Pingbian, Xishuangbanna, Yingjiang) [Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam].