A medium-sized or large tree up to 50 m tall, bole branchless for up to 22 m and up to 150 cm in diameter. Leaves with (3-)4(-7) pairs of leaflets, leaflets thickly leathery and glossy with a rounded or broadly cuneate base and a blunt to emarginate apex, 8-13.5 cm x 4-10.5 cm. Inflorescence 5-18 cm varying from very corymbiformly racemose to racemiform; flowers white and arranged in dense terminal panicles; bracts, bracteoles and calyx densely short-hairy to glabrous. Pedicels 1-2.25 cm, calyx-tube 7-15 mm segments 9-19 mm; petals often red or pink in colour. Fruit pod oblong or pear shaped, 8-23 cm x 4-8 cm. Pod leathery,woody and tardily dehiscent usually containing 1-9 seeds.
The bark is used in treating persons suffering from a urinary condition (characterised by very dark urine); also used in the treatment of rheumatism, dysentery and diarrhoea. An infusion of bark is given to women after delivery.