Oncinotis tenuiloba grows as a scrambling shrub or liana up to 30 metres (98 ft) long. Its flowers feature a yellow-green corolla. Fruit is pale brown with paired follicles, each up to 30 centimetres (12 in) long. Vernacular names for the plant include "magic-rope". Its habitat is evergreen forest from sea-level to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) altitude. O. tenuiloba is found in Nigeria, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.