Small to medium-sized deciduous tree up to 18(–25) m tall; bole usually short and branchless for up to 5 m but sometimes up to 12 m, straight or twisted, up to 75 cm in diameter; bark surface grey to brown, smooth or rough and reticulate, inner bark with reddish exudate; crown flattened, umbrella-shaped; young twigs glabrous or very shortly hairy. Leaves alternate, bipinnately compound with 1–3(–4) pairs of pinnae; stipules awl-shaped, caducous; petiole 4–8 cm long, grooved above, glabrous, near the base at upper side with a sessile gland, rachis 8–14 cm long, glabrous or sparsely pubescent; leaflets in (3–)4–8(–9) pairs per pinna, almost sessile, obliquely rhombic-ovate to elliptical-oblong, up to 5(–7) cm × 2.5(–4) cm, rounded to slightly notched at apex, glabrous, distinctly glaucous below. Inflorescence an axillary head on 2–11 cm long peduncle. Flowers bisexual, regular, 5-merous, greenish yellow; pedicel up to 2 mm long; calyx 3–5.5 mm long, with long tube toothed at apex, pubescent outside; corolla 5–11 mm long, pubescent outside; stamens numerous, 1.5–3 cm long, united at base, with white filaments; ovary superior, gradually tapering into an up to 3 cm long style. Fruit an oblong, flat pod 12–23 cm × 2.5–5 cm, almost glabrous, indistinctly transversely veined, pale brown when ripe, opening with 2 papery valves, c. 8-seeded. Seeds lens-shaped, 7–9 mm in diameter.

Aphrodisiac and abortifacient (root); purgative (leaves)

PROTAbase: Albizia antunesiana

The roots are applied externally to treat sore eyes, cuts, ulcers, pneumonia, painful and swollen legs, and internally as an infusion or decoction to treat sore throat, tonsillitis, tuberculosis, gonorrhoea and other sexually transmitted diseases, abdominal pains, depressed fontanelle in infants and infertility in women. A bark infusion is taken to treat constipation and applied externally to cuts. The crushed leaves are used as a dressing to treat oedema of the legs.