Liana or lianescent shrub, with lenticellate branches. Leaves alternate, 3-foliolate; stipules absent; petiole 2.5–14 cm long, rachis 1.5–4 cm long; leaflets ovate or elliptical, (4–)6.5–25 cm × 2–9.5 cm, rounded at base, acuminate at apex, entire, papery, glabrous, pinnately veined. Inflorescence an axillary panicle up to 35 cm long, usually many together near ends of branches and then appearing terminal and compound, densely brown-pubescent, up to 50-flowered. Flowers bisexual, regular, 5-merous, heterodistylous; pedicel short, articulate; sepals ovate, up to 4 mm long, glandular punctate; petals usually coherent, narrowly elliptical to narrowly obovate, up to 8 mm long, glandular punctate; stamens 10, united at base, alternately long and short; ovary superior, brown hairy, style longer or shorter than long stamens. Fruit a narrowly obovoid, slightly oblique follicle up to 6 cm long, shortly stiped at base, red, glabrous outside, glandular inside, 1-seeded. Seed ovoid, up to 3 cm long, shining black, with yellowish sarcotesta at base.

Tonic and astringent (bark); anthelminthic, purgative and taenicide (root bark)

PROTAbase: Connarus africanus

The bark, as a decoction or powder, is applied externally to ulcers and wounds. The root bark is used internally to treat tapeworm infections; a decoction or infusion of pounded seeds has a similar use. The leaf-sap is used in Côte d'Ivoire with bark sap of Chrysophyllum perpulchrum Mildbr. as a nasal instillation to treat fainting.