Slender shrubs or small trees or less frequently (and not in Australia) perennial herbs; unarmed. Stipules usually fugacious or (in A. angustissima) tending to be persistent. Leaves bipinnate, without glands. Inflorescences paniculate or racemose, often in short fascicles of capitulum-like racemes; heads globular to obloid; bracteoles present, usually fugacious; flowers pedicellate, aggregated in heads or very short, globose to oblong racemes, white or whitish, sometimes cream-coloured, pink or greenish, drying yellow, pink, orange or reddish, usually 5-merous; sepals ¾-united or more, occasionally calyx almost truncate; stamens numerous (more than 200 per flower), always free, staminal gland absent; ovary single, with a stipe of at least ¼ the length of the ovary. Legumes dehiscent, flat, straight, membranous or papyraceous, with a long apical beak and (usually >10 mm long) central basal stipe. Seeds almost circular in outline, lenticular to almost spherical; pleurogram conspicuous; funicle slender, inconspicuous, almost absent.
Several species have been cultivated in trial sites (research to find new fodder shrubs and trees) in Queensland: Acaciella angustissima (Mill.) Britton & Rose (White Ball Acacia, Bolivian Wattle), Acaciella filicoides (Cav.) Britton & Rose (Fern Acacia), Acaciella glauca (L.) L.Rico (Redwood), Acaciella texensis (Nutt. ex Torr. & A.Gray) Britton & Rose (Prairie Wattle, Kalbarrioh). The Acaciella taxa were found to be of limited value as cattle feed and their weed potential (ability to become an invasive environmental weed) outweighed any potential benefits as forage legumes.
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