Tall, glabrous shrubs or small trees to 8 m high; branches ascending, often drooping towards the ends, canopy medium to dense, dull bluish-green, rounded or somewhat pyramidal in shape; branchlets reddish-brown, acutely angled and later becoming smooth, greyish and almost terete except for the striate ridges continued below the phyllodes.
<P>Phyllodes linear-lanceolate to oblanceolate, 3-20 cm long, 3-15 mm broad, usually broadest above the centre and tapering gradually towards the base, straight or slightly curved, never falcate, thin, glabrous, dull-green to glaucous, mid-vein prominent, lateral veins numerous, rather obscure, margins pale vein-like, apex acute or obtuse with a small straight or uncinate point. Glands small, on upper margin near base of the phyllode.
<P>Inflorescences racemose, much shorter than phyllodes, consisting of 6-15 heads, sometimes appearing paniculate towards the ends of the branches; flower-heads pale yellow, c. 20-40-flowered; peduncles glabrous, slender; flowers 5-merous.
<P>Legumes shortly stipitate, linear, 3-14 cm long, 6-8 mm broad, usually straight, chartaceous, brown, margins not or only slightly constricted between the seeds. Seeds longitudinal in legume, obloid; funicle reddish-brown, encircling the seed in a double fold and thickening into a whitish aril.
<P>Var. <I><b>retinodes</b><I>. Phyllodes 8-20 cm long, 5-15 mm broad, often glaucous, apex short; straight or slightly curved flower heads usually 30-40-flowered; legumes 6-14 cm long, straight-edged.