Tall, deciduous tree with a spreading crown; bark grey or reddish brown, smooth, becomes rough, with shallow, reticulate cracks; leaves alternate, pinnate, leaflets 8-30, opposite, ovate-lanceolate, unequal at the base, glabrous, entire or wavy, base oblique, petioluled; flowers fragrant, small, white or pale yellow, pentamerous in drooping or sub-erect terminal panicles, very long, exceeding the leaves; pedicels short; calyx short, 5-cleft, divided nearly to the base; petals-5, free, suberect, ovate, imbricate, ciliate at margins; stamens 4-6, free, inserted at the top of the disk, sometimes alternating with staminodes, filaments subulate, anthers oblong, versatile; disk thick, raised, 4-6 lobed; ovary sessile, 5 celled, each with 8-12, biseriate, pendulous ovules, style filiform, stigma discoid; capsule dark brown, oblong, coriaceous, septifragally 5-valved; seeds many, pale brown, compressed, very light, winged below or at both ends.