Unarmed tree up to 15 m high with a conical or rounded crown; bark grey-brown to blackish, smooth or rough on very old trunks; young branchlets angular; all parts (except flowers) ± densely pubescent or puberulous, indumentum on young parts often golden. Leaves bipinnate: petiole 1-2,5 cm long, often with a gland above; rhachis usually 4-12 cm long, with numerous raised glands all along its upper surface both at and between the junctions of the pinnae pairs; pinnae 8-21 pairs; leaflets 15-70 pairs, 1,5-4 x 0,5-0,75 mm, linear-oblong, appressed-pubescent or glabrous beneath, margins usually with cilia. Inflorescences capitate, in terminal panicles. Flowers pale yellow, fragrant; peduncles 2-6 mm long. Calyx sparingly pubescent especially towards the apices of the lobes. Corolla glabrous or almost so. Pods (1,6)3-10 x 0,5-0,8 cm, jointed, almost moniliform, ± grey- puberu­lous, dehiscing longitudinally along one margin only, straight or slightly curved. Seeds black, ± 5 x3,5 mm, elliptic, com­pressed, smooth; caruncle conspicuous; areole 3,5x2 mm.