Dense, much-branched, rigid, prickly, almost glabrous, rounded, spreading shrubs 2-4 m high, often spreading more than its height; branches terete and with prominent scars of fallen phyllodes; bark grey to reddish-brown, slightly fissured at the base of stems.

<P>Phyllodes 1-4 cm long, 1-1.5 mm diam., terete, or almost so, subulate, very rigid, pungent, spreading sometimes almost horizontal, glabrous, situated on raised phyllode bases, c. 8 prominent longitudinal veins with distinct interstices; glands small, 1-2 mm above the base. 

<P>Inflorescences axillary and solitary usually twin or sometimes in clusters up to 5 heads; flower-heads small, more or less globular, yellow, c. 15- flowered; peduncles about 1/2 as long as phyllodes, glabrous; flowers 5-merous. 

<P>Legumes narrow-oblong, 3-5 cm long, 4-5 mm broad, curved or twisted, firmly chartaceous, margins slightly constricted between seeds. Seeds longitudinal in legume, ovoid-ellipsoid; funicle filiform, short, thickened into a large yellow conical aril which half encloses the seed.