Shrub or small tree up to 6 m high; young shoots villous with spreading golden hairs up to 1.5–3 mm long. Stipular spines 0.7–4.5(–6.5) cm long, straight. Leaves: pinnae 4–12 pairs; leaflets 7–25 pairs, c. 2–5.5 x 1–1.5 mm. Flowers white, in heads; peduncles 0.4–3 cm, densely hairy; involucel basal or in lower half of peduncle; bracteoles ciliate or pubescent. Calyx 1.7–2.5 mm long, ± pubescent outside. Corolla 2.5–3.5 mm long, with the lobes conspicuously pubescent outside. Pods straight or somewhat curved, thick and hard, attenuate basally, indehiscent, up to 9 x 2.5 cm (in Somalia normally 2–4.5 x 1–1.5 cm), densely clothed with long spreading hairs. Seeds ± ellipsoid, 4.5–9 mm in diam., minutely wrinkled; areole 4–7 x 2.5–4.5 mm.
Qaydar, wadi (Som.). Rose Innes & Trump 1029 from near the Jubba R. in S3 and Hassan 171 from between Baraawe and Sablale in S2 have pods c. 7 x 1.8 cm that are densely but very shortly pubescent unlike normal A. stuhlmannii. Hemming & Deshmukh JESS 86/221 from near Kamsuma appears to be the same. Further studies are needed to establish whether this is a distinct taxon or only a local form of A. stuhlmannii.
