Kanaloa kahoolawensis, a member of the Fabaceae (legume) family, is a densely branched shrub 0.8 to 1 m (2.5 to 3.5 ft) tall. The branches are sprawling and 0.75 to 1.5 m (2.5 to 5 ft) long. New growth is densely covered with brown and white hairs. The twigs are brown, ribbed or angled, and become whitish gray with corky fissures. The leaves are clustered near twig tips and have two persistent stipules. The leaf stalk is 6 to 24 mm (0.2 to 0.9 in) long. Leaves are divided into three pairs of leaflets, with a leaf nectary (nectar-bearing gland) at the joint between each pair of leaflets. The leaflet pairs are 22 to 55 mm (0.8 to 2 in) long. The main stalk of the leaf terminates in a short, brown appendage. The leaflets are egg-shaped, unequal-sided, 1.4 to 4.2 cm (0.6 to 1.7 in) long, and 0.9 to 3.2 cm (0.4 to 1.3 in) wide. One to three inflorescences are found in the leaf axils (joint between leaf and stem), developing with the flush of new leaves. The main stalk of the inflorescence is 8 to 30 mm (0.3 to 1.2 in) long. The inflorescence is a globose head 6 to 8 mm (0.2 to 0.3 in) in diameter, with small bracts 1 mm (0.04 to 0.06 in) long at the base. Each inflorescence has 20 to 54 white flowers. The calyx of the male flowers has limbs that are wider at the tip; densely covered with long, white hairs; and have lobes that overlap when the flower is in bud. The corolla lobes also overlap when the flower is in bud, and the petals are 1 to 1.8 mm (0.06 to 0.07 in) long. The petals are hairy on the outside at the tip and are not fused at the base. Ten stamens are found in the male flowers, fused at the base. Male flowers have only vestigial female parts. Female flowers have not been observed. The fruit is borne on a stalk about 5 mm (0.2 in) long. Up to four fruit develop in each flowering head. The fruit is egg-shaped to subcircular, compressed, hairy at the base, and open along two sides. One slender, heart-shaped, brown seed, 1 to 1.4 cm (0.4 to 0.5 in) by 1.1 to 1.6 cm (0.4 to 0.6 in), is found in each fruit.