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A medium-sized tree with a strong tendency to become shrubby; south of the Zambezi River reaching, at its best, 7-10 m in height; occurring in low-altitude woodland, often in deep, sandy soils; sometimes forming thickets. Bark: Smooth, pale grey, mottled, thin, tending to flake like the bark of the guava tree Psidium guajava; branchlets sometimes spine-tipped. Leaves: With 1-4 pairs of opposite to sub-opposite leaflets plus the terminal one; leaflets ovate to oval, sometimes oblanceolate, rather small, usually only 2-3 x 1-2 cm, but occasionally up to 8 x 5 cm, light green, drooping; apex broadly tapering, rounded or notched, asymmetric; base tapering, asymmetric; margin entire; petiolules and petiole present. Flowers: Pale yellow, pea-shaped, sweetly scented, in long, slender, lax, delicate sprays 7-22 cm long, before or with the new leaves; the flowering period is short, often only a few days. Fruit: A small, oval, flattened pod, up to 5 x 3 cm, with a conspicuous swelling over the seed-case and surrounded by a hard membranous wing, apex rounded, asymmetric, base tapering, pale creamy brown, occasionally with a reddish tinge, indehiscent.
A medium sized tree. It often becomes shrubby. It grows 7-10 m high. The bark is smooth and pale grey and flakes like guava bark. The leaves are made up of 2-4 pairs of opposite leaflets and one leaflet at the end. The leaflets are small and oval. They are 2-3 cm long by 1-2 cm wide. Sometimes they are larger. They are light green and droop. The base is unequal. The flowers are pale yellow and pea-shaped. They are in long slender sprays. These are 7-22 cm long. The fruit is a small oval flattened pod. It is 5 cm long by 3 cm wide. It has a swelling over the seed case. There is a hard wing like a membrane.
