Petchia madagascariensis grows as a shrub or small tree up to 10 metres (33 ft) tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 25 centimetres (9.8 in). Its flowers feature a creamy to yellow corolla. Fruit is orange with paired cylindrical follicles. Habitat is evergreen forest, mostly coastal, from sea-level to 600 metres (2,000 ft) altitude. Local medicinal uses include as a treatment for stomach-ache, gonorrhoea, rheumatism, gout, malaria and as a diuretic and anthelmintic. P. madagascariensis is endemic to Madagascar.