It is named for the British botanist William Griffith.

[2] Xanthophyllum griffithii grows up to 27 metres (90 ft) tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 40 cm (16 in).

The leaves are ovate to elliptic and measure up to 10 cm (4 in) long.

[2] Xanthophyllum griffithii is native to an area from Myanmar in the west to the Philippines in the east and south to Java.

Its habitat is dipterocarp and kerangas forests on hills and in lowlands, including by rivers and by the sea, to elevations of about 1,400 m (4,600 ft).