The large, imparipinnate leaves of Commiphora woodii are spirally arranged and clustered near stem-tips on petioles of 3 cm to 9 cm.

A leaf comprises three to nine pairs of leaflets plus a terminal one, well-spaced on the cylindrical rachis that may be red. The leaflet shape is oblong to elliptic or lanceolate, narrowly tapering at the apex, tapering to rounded at the base. The margins are finely toothed to scalloped.

The leathery blades are hairless, the young leaves are red. The leaves are usually deciduous, in warm areas sometimes replaced twice per annum, the trees mostly in leaf. Leaflet dimensions are up to 13 cm long and 5 cm wide.

The flowers of C. woodii are small and creamy green, the fruits large and ovoid to spherical (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Pooley, 1993).