Tephrosia apollinea is a legume species, native to southwest Asia (the Levant, Arabian Peninsula, Socotra, Iran, Pakistan, northwestern India) and northeast Africa (Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia). The leaflets of the plant are obovate-oblong and equal-sided, and of a silky texture. The fruits (legumes) are typically one to two inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm) long and contain six or seven brownish seeds. The species typically grows in areas where the soils are relatively deep, especially in semi-arid and wadi areas, and on terraces and slight inclines and hills.