Canavalia molokaiensis, a member of the Fabaceae (pea) family, is a perennial climbing herb with twining branches. Each leaf is made up of three lance-shaped or sometimes oval leaflets 3.5 to 8 cm (1.4 to 3 in) long and1.3 to 5.4 cm (0.5 to 2.1 in) wide. Four to 15 flowers are arranged along a stalk 3 to 9 cm (1.2 to 3.5 in) long. The calyx (fused sepals), which is 20 to 28 m (0.8 to 1.1 in) long, comprises a larger upper lip with two lobes and a smaller lower lip with three lobes. The five rose purple petals vary from 36 to 47 mm (1.4 to 1.9 in) in length. The flattened pods, 12 to 16 cm (4.7 to 6.3 in) long and 2.3 to 3.5 cm (0.9 to 1.4 in) wide, enclose flattened, dark reddish-brown, oblong-elliptic seeds 17 to 22 mm (0.7 to 0.9 in) long and 12 to 14 mm (0.5 in) wide.