It is aquatic or semi-aquatic, growing bristly, glandular stems near or in water.

The leaves are composed of oval-shaped leaflets each about a centimetre long.

At the base of each leaf are large, flat, pointed stipules.

The fruit is a lobed, gland-dotted legume pod narrowed between the seeds.

The hard, shiny seed is kidney-shaped and 2 or 3 millimetres long.