A densely branched shrub or small tree. It grows 10 m high. The bark is grey and cracked. The young branches have soft white hairs. There are spines at the ends of branches or in the axils of leaves. These are 1-1.5 cm long. The leaves are spirally arranged at first. They then form tufts on short shoots in the axils of leaves. The leaves are 1-2.7 cm long by 0.5-2.1 cm wide. They are broadly sword shaped. The leaf stalk is 1.5-3 mm long. The flowers contain both sexes or male and female flowers can be separate. There are 2-10 flowers together in a tuft. The flowers are whitish. They have a scent. The fruit are 0.7-1.2 cm long. There is one seed. It is 0.6-1 cm long. It has a hard, shiny, mottled seed coat. The fruit are edible.
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