A shrub or fairly big tree armed with hollow spine tipped dirk brown thorns, 5 cm long, c. 1 cm wide at the base where the two thorns are united. Leaf 2-pinnate, 7.5-20 cm long, with 4-8 pairs of pinnae. Leaflets 15-25 pairs, c. 6-13 mm long. Spike c. 3.8 cm long.

To slow down snake venom from entering the bloodstream (bark and root); acne and other skin conditions can be bathed with water in which the thorns have been boiled