The mature tree typically has a straight trunk, up to 40 meters tall and 80 cm wide, that branches out only near the top.

The leaves are bipinnate, a metre or more in length, with a green stem and 30–50 opposite pinnae, each with 40–60 leaflets 2–3 cm long; they are clustered near the end of the branches, and fall off completely in the dry season.

The numerous bright yellow nectar-producing flowers, about 3.5 cm in diameter, bloom from October through December in the Southern Hemisphere, after the leaves have fallen off.

Each fruit is a tadpole-like pod about 10 cm long, containing a single oval seed, smooth and brown.

Formerly used for dugout canoes, it is now used for toys, boxes, shoe heels, the inner layers of laminated wood, and paper.