高大落葉喬木，可達四十米，生長緩慢，樹齡可過百年，樹冠擴張成闊鐘形，有低垂枝條，是優良的行道樹，上好的木材。花期仲夏，總狀花序，芳香。果為圓形莢果，形似「荷包蛋」，深褐色，通常有一顆種籽在內，深褐色。校園東部，近大學診所門前有一行紫檀，校園西部近「香港中文大學」的石碑，亦有一株高大的紫檀。

A large deciduous tree, it can grow up to a height of 40 meters.  The growth is slow and one tree can age more than a hundred years.  The drooping twigs form a broad canopy of a bell shape, making the plant an excellent pavement tree.  The timber is of high quality, hard and reddish, often used to make instruments and furniture.  Flowering in summer, the slightly fragranced bloom is arranged in raceme inflorescence.  Spherical fruits are like 'sunnyside-up' fried eggs, dark brown in color, usually possessing one stone inside, also dark brown in color.  On CUHK campus, one Burmese Rosewood is located in front of University Health Centre on the eastern campus; a taller one can be found on the western campus near where the stele of 'Chinese University of Hong Kong' lies.