(Shrub to) tree to 13 m high. Leaves 5–10 cm long, imparipinnate; leaflets (9–) 13–17 (–23), opposite or alternate, elliptic, (1.3–) 1.7–2.5 (–3.5) cm long, 0.6–1 (–1.3) cm wide, rounded, sometimes slightly retuse at apex, soft-textured, mid-green. Inflorescences borne below leaves, racemose, few–20-flowered, may appear as clusters. Flowers 3–4 cm long. Calyx 0.7–1 cm long and wide; lobes shallow. Petals greenish yellow turning bright yellow; standard oblong, 1.5–2 cm long; wings slightly longer; keel petals narrowly oblong, very slightly falcate, 2.5–3 cm long. Stamens free, slightly exserted. Ovary sericeous, 15–20 mm long; style exserted. Pod strongly moniliform, 7–12 cm long, green turning light brown, pubescent, slightly warty, with 4 somewhat erose wings 2 mm wide. Seeds 5–10, ellipsoidal, c. 7 mm long, smooth, orange-brown.
Its hard and durable timber was used for fence posts and house stumps (Hutton 2002: 97). Grown in New Zealand gardens as an ornamental under the cultivar name 'Gnome', e.g. Sophora howinsula 'Gnome', Sophora tetraptera 'Otari Gnome'.
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