A glabrous spiny shrub with thick principal branches, ascending to 3 m. or ± prostrate; stems cylindrical; outer bark peeling in yellowish papery flakes from the green under-bark; slash greenish white, smooth, with a milky exudate which is only faintly scented; main branches not spine-tipped, but short lateral spines 10–20 mm. long are present, but may be sparse so that herbarium specimens may seem to be unarmed.. Leaves yellowish green becoming pale yellow as they die, always 3-foliolate; petiole ± as long as the terminal leaflet which is cuneate-obovate, attenuate at the base, rounded at the apex, about twice as large as the lateral leaflets and up to 50 mm. long and 30 mm. wide; margins feebly and sparsely crenate-serrate.. Male inflorescences 2–4-flowered, the peduncle and pedicels each ± 2 mm. long; calyx ± 3 mm. including 1 mm. lobes; petals ± 4 mm. long.. Fruits single or clustered 2–4 together at the tips of short-shoots or at the base of spines, on stalks 3–6 mm. long; drupe ovoid, beaked, including the 4 mm. beak ± 15 × 13–14 × (1.5 + 8) mm.; pericarp 4-valved, the lines of dehiscence not clearly marked; pseudaril with 4 linear arms; stone smooth, ± 10 × 8 × (0.5 + 5) mm., the sterile locule extremely flat.. Fig 6/13–15, p.34.