[1] Jean Baptiste Louis Pierre, the French botanist who first formally described the species, using the basionym Unona brandisiana, named it in honor of Sir Dietrich Brandis, the German botanist for whom Pierre worked in the Indian Forest Service (then called the Imperial Forestry Service) in Calcutta.

Its long branches have a round cross-section and are covered in woolly hairs when young, but are hairless when mature.

About midway along the length of the peduncles is a bracteole that is 8 by 2-5 mm and covered in woolly hairs.

[2] In Cambodia, it is called by the common name chkè sraèng, and is used in traditional medicine to treat fever.

[6] Bioactive molecules isolated from its bark, including acetogenins have been reported to have cytotoxic properties in tests with cancer cell lines.

[8] Pierre noted that its soft, white wood can be used in woodworking to create vases, boxes, and tool handles.