Voacanga africana is a small tree up to 6 m (20 ft) tall with a spreading crown. The leaves are in opposite pairs, dark glossy green above and paler green below. The white flowers are in small bunches and either grow in the leaf axils or at the end of shoots. The fruits usually grow in pairs and are mottled green and spherical, with the seeds sunk in the yellow pulp.
The plant contains a large number of alkaloids related to the anti-addiction medication ibogaine, including some of the only known naturally occurring CB1 receptor antagonists. One of the plant's alkaloids, Voacangine, has been used as a precursor in the semi-synthesis of ibogaine. While small amounts of ibogaine are found in Voacanga Africana root bark, they do not occur in sufficient quantity to have medicinal or psychoactive effects. Extracts from the plant are also used in the production of vinpocetine, a medication used to treat Alzheimer's disease, and vinblastine, used to treat leukemia.
