Strophanthus amboensis grows as a deciduous shrub up to 4 metres (13 ft) tall, or as a liana up to 20 metres (66 ft) long, with a stem diameter up to 20 centimetres (7.9 in). Its flowers feature an orange-yellow turning purple corolla tube, white-streaked on the inside. Habitats are forest margins, scrubland or rock fissures, from 450 metres (1,480 ft) to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) altitude. S. amboensis is used in local medicinal treatments for rheumatism, venereal diseases and scabies. The plant has been used as arrow poison. S. amboensis is native to Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola and Namibia.