Erect perennial herb up to 500 mm tall arising from a clavate rootstock with 1-several lateral branches. Stems 1-5, minutely clothed in white hairs. Stipules 16 mm long, 4.5-5.0 mm wide, free, lanceolate-falcate, senescent before leaf expansion. Leaves trifoliolate, except for the 30-40 mm long, 20-28 mm wide, unifoliolate leaves produced at the first two nodes; terminal leaflet 72-100 mm long, 41-63 mm wide, elliptic, symmetrical, stipellate; laterals smaller, asymmetrical with width ratio 1:2.3; all leaflets felt-like with raised veins below, covered in minute raised glands; strongly boat-shaped; petiolules 4-5 mm long, 3 mm wide; rhachis deeply channelled. Inflorescence 36-40-flowered, axillary, 210-240 mm long at maturity, 40 mm long when first flower opens. Flowers 10-13 mm long, each subtended by a 6 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, narrowly lanceolate, rapidly caducous bract. Calyx 6 mm long; tube 3 mm long; teeth equal, shortly triangular, 3 mm long, finely pubescent with small white glands interspersed. Standard 11 mm long, 8-9 mm wide, emarginate, orbicular, yellow with green nectar-guide, back finely pubescent with many small white glands; appendages fused, bifid, hooded, free from auricles; claw 5 mm long. Wing petals 10 mm long, 5 mm wide, yellow with a few hairs along the base; claw curved, 2 mm long. Keel blades 8 mm long, 3 mm wide, pale yellow, indented at base, with few hairs scattered along the lower margin, outer face with pale glands towards the apex; claw upcurving, 2 mm long. Androecium 8 mm long; vexillar stamen free, 7 mm long, geniculate. Pistil 1 mm long; ovary 3 mm long, white pubescent; style glabrous, height of curvature 2.25 mm, thickened at point of flexure; stigma minutely capitate. Fruits 20 mm long, 11 mm wide when green, softly white pubescent; beak straight, 1.5 mm long. Seeds unknown. Considering the lack of access roads in the general area of distribution it is not surprising that this distinctive species has not been collected more often. E. naviculare can be confused with E. salignum E.Mey. (yellow-flowered form) but is readily separated from that species by its broad pubescent leaflets and much smaller flowers.
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