Spiny shrub or small tree, usually unbranched, to c. 10 m. Leaves forming a large rosette at the summit of the stem, up to c. 1 m long, or shorter below the inflorescence, bi-or tripinnate, with a pair of leaflets (often pinnate) at each division of the rachis, prickly on the petiole, main rachis, and often on the lateral rachides; leaflets sessile or petiolules to c. 5 mm, ovate or ovate-oblong, usually c. 3 by 1¾ cm, but variable in size, base truncate to rounded or cuneate, apex acute acuminate, margin sharply serrate, both surfaces with small bristle-like spines, especially on the veins, sometimes with small spines on the underside of the midrib; petiole to c. 25 cm, with an elongated sheathing base and a small ligule. Inflorescence a large terminal panicle, 25-50 cm long, glabrous, the main rachis rather short, bearing a few lateral or a terminal cluster of branches c. 15-25 cm long; tertiary branches disposed singly or in subverticils, ending in umbellules and bearing a variable number of lateral umbellules. Flowers c. 10-12 per umbellule; pedicels c. 5-6 mm, articulated below the ovary; calyx a rim bearing 5 narrow or triangular teeth; petals and stamens 5; ovary turbinate c. 2 mm long; styles 5, erect at first, soon spreading, scarcely united at the base. Fruit spheroidal, c. 6 by 5 mm, deeply furrowed when dry, the persistent styles radiating.
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