Tree 5.5–15 m. high; bark dark grey, corrugated. Young branchlets densely pubescent. Stipules not spinescent. Prickles in pairs just below a node, brown or grey, hooked, up to 5–6 mm. long. Leaves: petiole glandular (gland 0.8–1.5 mm. in diameter); rhachis pubescent, glandular between lowest pair and top 2–6 pairs of pinnae; pinnae 6–17 pairs; leaflets 19–32 pairs, 2.5–3.5 mm. long, 0.6–1.0 mm. wide, linear-oblong, ciliate on margins only, lateral nerves not visible, apex obtuse, base auricled on one side. Flowers white or yellowish-white, sessile, in spikes 5–11 cm. long on peduncles 0.5–1.5 cm. long, produced usually before the new leaves on short leafless lateral shoots; axis densely pubescent. Calyx 1.5–2 mm. long, glabrous or with a few hairs above, rarely with more numerous hairs. Corolla 1.75–2.25 mm., equalling or only slightly exceeding the calyx, 5-lobed, glabrous outside. Stamen-filaments 5–5.5 mm. long, free; anthers about 0.2 mm. across, with a caducous gland. Ovary glabrous, very shortly stipitate. Pods (Fig. 14/14, p. 52) dehiscent, puberulous, oblong, straight or nearly so, venose, shortly acuminate at apex, 8–21 cm. long, 1.6–2.6 cm. wide. Seeds subcircular-lenticular, 10–13 mm. diam.; central areole medium, 5–6 × 4.5–5 mm., impressed.
