The name, huevos de caballo, comes from the oval shape of the tree's hanging fruit.

[4] It grows up to 20 metres (66 ft) tall, although the height is partially dependent on the habitat.

[4] Foster and McDiarmid found that the slow growing fruit is about 7 to 10 centimetres (2.8 to 3.9 in) long and weighs an average of about 143 grams (5.0 oz).

[4] When the fruit is open, a slit forms in the husk permitting access to the arils, each of which covers a seed.

[4] The fruit of Tabernaemontana donnell-smithii is eaten by birds such as parrots, and by the white-headed capuchin, and the seeds are eaten by birds such as flycatchers, motmots, honeycreepers, manakins and woodpeckers.