Leaves compound, evenly pinnate , typically with 4 leaflets , sometimes with 2 or 6 leaftlets, clustered on short spurs. Branch tips modified into thorns . Stipules modified into short spines. Roots penetrate soil deeply. Lateral roots produce adventitious shoots .
Roots associate with nitrogen fixing bacteria.
Stamens 10, with 9 filaments fused into a tube. Grows on the steppes and in sandy soils near the ocean in its native habitat. Tolerates saline soils. Shrubs cut to the ground re-grow from roots. Pods break apart between seeds, but do no open to release seeds.