Acacia mellifera subsp. detinens (Burch.) Brenan

It is often a shrub but can be a small tree. It grows 5-8 m tall. The young branches are rigid and spiny. The prickles are dark brown. They are 5 mm long and in pairs below each node. It loses its leaves during the year. The leaves are compound. They have 2-3 pairs of leaf stalks with very few leaflets. There are often only 1-2 pairs. The leaflets are 0.4-2.2 cm long by 0.3-1.6 cm wide. The flowers are white in balls. The fruit is a small pale brown pod. It can be 9 cm long by 2.5 cm wide. It is thin, straight and smooth.

It is a tropical and subtropical plant. It grows in dry bushveld. It is often on sand and semi-desert. It can tolerate drought and frost. It grows in areas with annual rainfalls between 60-1,300 mm. The dry season can be 6-11 months. It can grow in salty and alkaline soils. It grows from sea level to 1,800 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

The edible gum is produced when branches are damaged. The roots are used to sour milk and as a curdling agent.

Plants can be grown from seeds. The seeds can be soaked in hot water overnight then planted. It is best grown in a nursery in sand then transplanted early without damaging the taproot.