High-climbing spiny liana, shrub or small tree to 20m, young stems pubescent, recurved spines to 5mm x 4mm. 15-35 foliolate, leaflets coriaceous to 60mm x 25mm, glabrous above, pubescent beneath becoming glabrous. Terminal tomentose panicles with bracts to 6mm x 3mm & bracteoles to 2mm x 3mm of purple-violet flowers to 13mm long, ferrugineo-pubescent calyx to 7mm x 2.5mm with lobes to 1mm long, pink, vilet or purple petals to 1.5mm long, standard 10mm, wings nearly as long, keel shorter and curved, leaves Fruit a glabrous incurved pod to 110mm x 30mm