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''Cavacoa aurea'' yields good sticks for various uses.

A dioecious evergreen shrub or small tree up to 15 m tall; trunk irregularly fluted near base; bark thin, scaly, brown; branches long, greyish, glabrous. Leaves alternate, simple and entire; stipules oblong, c. 5 mm long, soon falling, leaving conspicuous annular scars; petiole 1–5 cm long; blade elliptical to elliptical-obovate or elliptical-oblanceolate, 3.5–18 cm × 1.5–8 cm, base cuneate to rounded, apex obtuse to acuminate, leathery, minutely gland-dotted, pinnately veined with 9–12 pairs of lateral veins. Inflorescence a terminal raceme up to 10 cm long, up to 10-flowered; bracts 4–6 mm long. Flowers unisexual, fragrant, cream-coloured, bright yellow or greenish yellow; pedicel 1–2.5 cm long, jointed; male flowers with 2(–4), lanceolate to broadly ovate sepals, 3.5–6 mm long, petals 4–5, free, elliptical-ovate, 7–9 mm long, disk glands 4–5, free, fleshy, stamens 15–35, 5–6 mm long; female flowers with (4–)5, oblong-lanceolate sepals 6–8 mm long, petals 5, elliptical-oblong, c. 10 mm long, disk cup-shaped, ovary superior, 2–3 mm in diameter, 3–5-celled, styles 3, fused at base, 3–5 mm long, stigmas 2-fid. Fruit a 3–5-lobed capsule 12–15 mm × 23–30 mm, smooth, hard, green turning black, 3–5-seeded. Seeds ovoid to nearly globose, c. 10 mm × 8–9 mm, smooth, pale brown, streaked and mottled dark brown.

''Cavacoa'' comprises 3 species, all in tropical Africa. ''Cavacoa aurea'' has long been confused with ''Heywoodia lucens'' Sim in South Africa.

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