Hovea lanceolata is shrub to 3 m (9.8 ft) tall, most of the plant has curly, dense greyish brown hairs, occasionally spreading and straight.

The leaves are mostly lanceolate in shape, though sometimes elliptic or narrow-oblong, flat margins, rounded at the base to almost pointed, 3.5–9 cm (1.4–3.5 in) long and 7–15 mm (0.28–0.59 in) wide, juvenile leaves longer and broader, apex variable, may be rounded, pointed or notched.

At the base of the leaf there are narrow-ovate to lance shaped stipules 1.0–3.2 mm (0.039–0.126 in) long, often tapering gradually to a point at the apex.

[2][3] Hovea lanceolata was first formally described in 1814 by John Sims and the description was published in the Botanical Magazine.

[6] This hovea grows in loam, shaly and shallow soils in forests and woodland in Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales to Cowra.