Erect glabrous shrub with often long, rambling or drooping branches, 2-4 m long; leaf-axils often with 1-2 patent thin, straight, very sharp, 2-16 mm long spines which easily break off. Stipules at the base of each petiole 2, minute subulate, subpersist-ent. Leaves variable as to shape, ovate, elliptic, oblong, oval, suborbicular or obovate from an acute, obtuse or rounded base, abruptly tipped with a small triangular not or hardly spinous point, thinly coriaceous, flexible with a strongish midrib and thin lateral nerves and veins, shining, 2-6½ cm by 1½-6½ cm; petiole 3-7 mm. Flowers in racemes or panicles of 1-25 cm long; lower of these axillary, higher often united in a terminal panicle with wide-divaricating branches; rachises thin. Distribution of sexes various; some specimens ♂, others ♀ or (♂♀); the (♂♀) ones sometimes with a few ☿ flowers. Bracts persistent, patent, elongated-triangular, very acute, not spiny, ¾-2½ mm long. Calyx, corolla, staminodes of ♀ and stamens of ☿ persisten after anthesis. ♂ Flowers rather crowded, sessile or subsessile. Calyx more or less deeply divided into obtuse erect segments, 2-2½ mm long. Petals somewhat exceeding the calyx, oblong, entire or at the apex slightly dentate-serrate, green, 2-2½ mm long. Filaments exceeding corolla; anthers oblong, 1¼-1½ mm. ♀ Flowers on 1-8 mm long pedicels. Calyx 1¼-1½ mm long. Corolla as in ♂ but only 1½-2 mm long. Staminodes not exceeding the corolla; barren anthers sagittate. Ovary imperfectly 4-celled; stigmatic arms broad, widely divaricating. ☿ like ♀, but with perfect stamens. Berry globose, white, ± 6 mm diam. Seeds 2-3, less often 1.
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Shrubs erect; branches 2-4 m tall, scrambling or drooping. Axillary spines 2-16 mm, strict and acute. Stipules subulate, ± persistent; petiole 5-10 mm; leaf blade ovate, elliptic, broadly elliptic, subrounded, or obovate, 2.5-8 × 1-5 cm, papery or thinly leathery, green, glossy, base obtuse or rounded, apex acute, sometimes mucronate; midrib prominent. Inflorescence 4-15 cm, often branched; bracts usually persistent, narrowly triangular, 0.8-2.5 mm, apex acute. Flowers pale green. Male flowers: calyx 4-lobed, 2-2.5 mm, lobes obtuse, erect; petals oblong, entire or apex slightly serrulate, longer than calyx; anthers oblong, 1.2-1.5 mm. Female flowers: pedicels 1-8 mm; calyx 1.2-1.5 mm; petals shorter than in male flowers. Berry white or green, globose. Fl. Jan-Mar.
A thorny shrub. It grows 2-4 m tall. It can be erect or scrambling. It has spines. The leaves are oval and 3-8 cm long by 1-5 cm wide. The flowering shoots are 4-15 cm long.
In northern Java in dry coastal regions from the plains up to 160 m, in periodically very dry localities: thickets, hedges, field-and ibrest-borders, locally not rarely rather numerous.
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It is a tropical plant. It grows in coastal forests near sea level.
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