Strychnos bourdillonii Brandis; S. cinnamomifolia Thwaites; S. cinnamomifolia var. wightii A. W. Hill; S. cirrhosa Stokes; S. colubrina Linnaeus, nom. utique rej.; S. gauthierana Pierre ex Dop; S. pierriana A. W. Hill; S. rheedei C. B. Clarke; S. tubiflora A. W. Hill.

Lianas to 20 m. Stems grayish white, rugose; branchlets terete, smooth, usually with axillary simple or double tendrils. Petiole 5--7 mm; leaf blade 5--17 X 3--5 cm, base cuneate to subrounded, apex acuminate to acute, basal veins 3, reticulate veins present. Thyrses terminal, 4--5 cm; peduncle pubescent. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicel pubescent. Calyx lobes ovate, 1--1.3 mm, outside puberulent, margin ciliate. Corolla yellowish to yellow-white, salverform, ca. 1.4 cm, outside papillose; tube ca. 1.1 cm, inside basally villous; lobes oblong, ca. 4 mm, apex slightly thickened. Stamens inserted at corolla mouth; filaments very short; anthers oblong, ca. 1.5 mm, connectives obtuse to rounded at apex. Pistil ca. 8 mm. Ovary ovoid, ca. 1 mm in diam. Style slender; stigma capitate. Berries orange when ripe, globose, 4--6 cm in diam.; pericarp to 2--3 mm thick; many-seeded. Seeds orbicular, elliptic, or oblong, flat, 2--3 cm, with densely pale brown-gray sericeous hairs. Fl. Apr-Jun.

Medicinal, poisonous.

Tropical evergreen forests, mixed woodlands on limestone; 200--600 m. SE Yunnan [Andaman Islands, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam].