Herb or subshrub, mostly erect, rarely somewhat scandent, 0.6–1 m. tall. Stems glabrous to pilose, often with bristles as well, in Africa mostly with lines of short pubescence and scattered long bristles but not densely hairy. Leaflets ovate, elliptic or lanceolate, 0.5–3(–4.5) cm. long, 0.2–1 (–2) cm. wide, acute or less often obtuse at the apex, cuneate, glabrous to puberulous or bristly, the margins sometimes spinulose-toothed; free part of petiole and rhachis together 0.2–1.2 cm. long; petiolules 1 mm. long; stipules 0.4–2.5 cm. long. Inflorescences dense, mostly 1–1.5 cm. long, 2–40-flowered; primary bracts 1–2.2 cm. long, the outer densely covered with mostly spreading long bristles; secondary bracts 2.5–5.5 mm. long, 0.8 mm. wide; bracteole 1, 2–4.5 mm. long; plumose axis absent. Receptacle 4–8 mm. long; calyx-lobes elliptic or oblong, 3–5 mm. long, ± 1–1.5 mm. wide. Standard orange-yellow streaked with red, 4–8 mm. long, 3–5 mm. wide. Pods 1-jointed, the article ovoid, 2–3 mm. long, 1.8 mm. wide, glabrous or minutely short pubescent near the apex; beak minute, 0.1–0.5 mm. long, strongly inflexed. Seeds pale brown, compressed-ellipsoid, beaked or pointed near the hilum, shiny, longest dimension 2.2 mm., shorter dimension 1.5 mm., 0.8 mm. thick.
