Shrub, c. 1 m tall, young branches glabrous to subglabrous, bark greenish grey or brownish grey. Leaf digitately compound, rachis soon becomes indurated and transformed into spines, c. 5-10 mm long, persistent for 2-3 years; leaflets c. 8-17 (-23) mm long, c. 1.5-2.5 (-4) mm broad, narrowly oblanceolate to linear-oblanceolate, acute or acuminate, apiculate, glabrous; stipules becoming indurated and spiny, 2-6 mm long. Inflorescence solitary axillary, pedicel slightly longer than the peduncle, c. 4-8.5 mm long. Calyx c. 6-8 mm long, glabrous, teeth broadly triangular, c. 1.5 mm long. Corolla orange yellow. Vexillum c. 17-18 mm long, somewhat shorter than the wing and keel. Fruit 3-4 cm long, c. 3-4.5 mm broad, glabrous.