Straggling shrub to 6 m, or climber to 45 m, stem to 10 cm in diameter. Branchlets terete, glabrous, armed by a recurved prickle, to 8 mm, developing in young branches from the outer and lower part of the leaf-scar; stipules filiform-setaceous, c. 1 mm, acute, caducous. Leaves: rachis 8-13 cm, glabrous to sparsely puberulous, with glands c. 0.5-1 cm above the base and 0.5-1 cm below the bases of each pair of pinnae; petiolar gland sessile, ovate, flat to concave, c. 0.5 mm; pinnae (1—)3—4 pairs, opposite, 3-11 cm, glabrous to sparsely puberulous, eglandular; petiolules to 1 mm; leaflets 3-10 pairs per pinna, opposite, chartaceous, unequal-sided, ± obovate or trapezoid-oblong, (0.7-)1.4-2 by (0.4-)0.5-l cm; base asymmetrically truncate to half cuneate/ half rounded, apex rounded to truncate, mucronu-late, both surfaces glabrous or lower surface sparsely appressed puberulous; main vein ± diagonal or subcentral. Inflorescences consisting of pedunculate glomerules aggregated into terminal or axillary, glabrous to sparsely puberulous panicles; peduncles in clusters of 4 or 5, to 1.5 cm, with a glomerule of 15-20 flowers. Flowers sessile, dimorphic, pentamerous, bisexual, white or greenish white. Calyx tubular to narrowly funnel-shaped, appressed puberulous to sericeous, 1.5-2 mm; teeth triangular, 0.3 mm. Corolla narrowly funnel-shaped, glabrous to puberulous, 5-6 mm; lobes ovate-elliptic, acute. Stamens probably to 10 mm long, the tube equal to slightly shorter than the corolla-tube. Ovary glabrous, 2-3 mm; stipe 0.75-1.5 mm. Pod reddish to brown, oblong, straight, flat, chartaceous, 15-18 by 2.5-4 cm, dehiscing along both sutures, glabrous, prominently bullate over the seeds, transverse veins anastomosing. Seeds narrowly elliptic, flat, 10 by 4 by 1 mm; areole narrowly elliptic, c. 7.5 by 1 mm, pleurogram parallel to the margins and open towards the hilum.
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Shrubs, scandent, or lianas ca. 20 m. Branchlets often with a curved prickle below petiole. Stipules deciduous, small; petiole with a complanate gland near base; pinnae 2-6 pairs; leaflets 4-10 pairs, oblong or obovate-oblong, 1.2-2.5 × 0.7-1.5 cm, main vein at middle, abaxially puberulent, adaxially glabrous, base oblique, apex obtuse or emarginate or hardly mucronate. Heads usually 6-12-flowered, arranged in terminal or axillary panicles; peduncles 5-10 mm, soft, sparsely pubescent. Flowers dimorphic, sessile. Calyx less than 1 mm, calyx and corolla puberulent. Corolla white; tube ca. 4 mm; lobes ca. 2 mm. Filaments ca. 1 cm. Ovary glabrous, stipitate. Legume dehiscent, ligulate, flat, 10-20 × 3-4 cm, glabrous. Seeds brown, oblong. Fl. and fr. Apr-Nov.
Primary and secondary forest, especially along rivers, in forest margins, disturbed habitats and open grassy fields, along sandy seashores and behind the mangrove; usually in sandy soils; at elevations from sea-level up to 300 metres.
Can be grown by seedlings. Seeds needs soaking.
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