Crossword Genius

Erect as a tree (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

upas

'a tree' is the definition.
(upas is a species of tree)

'erect as' is the wordplay.
'erect' becomes 'up'.
'up'+'as'='UPAS'

(Other definitions for upas that I've seen before include "A poisoner" , "Poisonous Javanese tree" , "Tree from Java with poisonous sap" , "Source of poison" , "Java tree providing arrow poison" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.