[2][1] Its cultivar 'Florida Beauty' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

[3] The following varieties are accepted:[1] A branched shrub or small tree that commonly grows less than 4 m in height but occasionally reaches 8 m, it has reddish brown tuberous roots that sometimes produce canelike shoots that are sometimes clad in thin greenish to white phrophylls.

[4] Leaves are concolorous or variegated, glossy bright to dark green above and sometimes infused with white to yellowish dots; they are arranged in pseudowhorls with margins that are sometimes rough or smooth, apex is acuminate and base is cunneate.

Fruits is orange to bright red in colour, globose and up to 2 cm in diameter.

[4] Occurs naturally in West Africa from Guinea westwards to Cameroon.