A small or medium sized tree of river borders, 15 – 20 m tall and 50 cm Ø, low-branched. Stem with sharp thorns (spines). Bark very thin and scaly. A big gland on the petiole and one at the top of the rachis. The upper leaflet of the first pair of leaflets on a pinna reduced to a mere point. Curved pods remain on the tree for a long time; they are used for tanning skins. Another tree with thorns and very small leaflets is Plagiosiphon emarginatus – but its leaves are pinnate and not bipinnate. See also PROTA database. Syn.: Albizia altissima (in PROTA)