Trees with long slender stems and sparsely branched crowns, up to 10-17 m in height, forming dense stands with a closed canopy; occurring in high-rainfall areas on the most recent geological formations along the coast; growing as a pioneer and stabilising the dune forests. Bark: light brown or greyish white to white, smooth or with shallow longitudinal red-lined fissures; round spots of lichens (Parmelia spp.) on the stems; young branches bright green or greyish white to almost all white, becoming olive-green or cream-coloured when older, sometimes zigzagging; stipules spinescent, the spines in pairs, vary from rudimentary (1-2 mm) to 6-20 cm long, cream-coloured, sharp, usually on the main trunk as well as the branches; sometimes they grow so fast that they remain bright green and soft. Leaves: on short spur-branchlets in the axils of the spines, rachis up to 2.6 cm long finely to densely velvety, with 2-5 pairs of pinnae, each bearing 15-17 pairs of leaflets; leaflets 5.4 x 1.6 mm at the widest point, bright green, hairless; petiole 0.6-2 cm long. Flowers: in yellow balls, (Nov.-Apr. or even later). Fruit: reddish brown pod, 2.3-8.8 cm x 6 mm, prominently constricted between the seeds. Seeds: 10-12 per pod.
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