Evergreen tree up to 18m. Dark, fissured, very rough bark in mature specimens, pale and flaking when young. Leaves opposite, imparipinnate, 120-300mm long, usually with 3-5 pairs of glossy, leathery, dark green leaflets with sharply toothed margins and pink veins, grey hairs on young leaves; leaf buds enclosed by large, conspicuous, paddle-shaped stipules always found on the tree.  Small creamy-white flowers are in dense, showy spike-like, axillary racemes, sweetly scented.

Fruits are small two-horned leathery brown capsules which release tiny sticky seeds which are dispersed by birds; the sticky seeds adhere to bills, feet and feathers.

Wood is pale to rich red flecked with white; hard, fine-grained and used for furniture.