Tall, diffuse, straggly, prickly shrubs or small trees 2-5 m high, a short single trunk branching just above ground level or multi-stemmed; branches somewhat pubescent when young becoming glabrous with age; bark dark grey slightly fissured and rough at the base more or less smooth on upper branches. 

<P>Phyllodes linear, angular-subulate ending in a pungent point, 1-5 cm long c. 1 mm broad, rigid, clustered usually in groups of 2-5 or solitary on new shoots, glabrous or with a few scattered hairs when young, dull green, 1-2 prominent veins on each face. 

<P>Inflorescences simple and axillary, solitary or appearing as clusters of 2-5; flower-heads globular c. 50-flowered; peduncles glabrous 10-15 mm long; flowers 5-merous. Legumes moniliform, much curved or twisted, 6-8 cm long, 5-6 mm broad, dark brown, apex acute; margins yellowish, thickened. Seeds longitudinal in legume; funicle thick, yellow, completely encircling the seed in a single fold more or less dilated for the whole length.