An annual herb. It grows in water. It grows 1-4 m high. It is slightly woody. The leaves are compound with 5-30 pairs of leaflets. They are narrow and pale green and softly hairy underneath. The flowers are yellow with purple spots. The fruit are small narrow pods. The seeds are dark purplish brown.
It is a tropical plant It grows in permanently water logged clay soils. It grows between 850-1,200 m above sea level. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 1,000-1,300 mm. It can grow in arid places.