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Small to medium-sized, thornless, leguminous tree up to 10-12 m high. Branching frequently from the base with basal diameters reaching 50-70 cm. Bark is smooth, varying in colour from whitish grey to deep red-brown. Trees display spreading crowns. Leaves are odd pinnate, usually alternate, sub-opposite or opposite, to approximately 30 cm long; leaflets 5-20, ovate or elliptic, 2-7 cm long, 1-3 cm wide. Leaflet midrib and rachis are occasionally striped red. Inflorescences appear as clustered racemes on distal parts on new and old wood, 5-15 cm long, flowers borne singly with 20-40 per raceme. Flowers bright pink to lilac, tinged with white, usually with a diffuse pale yellow spot at the base of the standard petal, calyx glabrous, green, often tinged red. Standard petal round and nearly erect, approximately 20 mm long; keel petals 15-20 mm long, 4-7 mm wide. Fruit green, sometimes tinged reddish-purple when unripe, light yellow-brown when mature, narrow, 10-18 cm long, 2 cm wide, valves twisting in dehiscence; seeds 4-10, yellow-brown to brown, nearly round. Uses/applications: Living fences/hedges, cut and carry feed for ruminants, alley farming, protein banks, green manure , support, shade, honey, rodenticide, medicinal, firewood, pigmentation of eggs.