Cerbera odollam is a dicotyledonous angiosperm, a plant species in the family Apocynaceae and commonly known as the suicide tree, pong-pong, mintolla, and othalam.
According to Corners, the fruits are poisonous and native medicinal uses are made of the bark, leaves and oil extracted from the seeds. According to Tomlinson, some native societies use the fruits as a means of committing suicide. According to Wee, the tree contains cerberin or cerberoside.