Evergreen tree to 12 m tall with dense busy crown. Twigs armed with pairs of spines at leaf bases. Leaves bipinnate with only 1 pair of leaflets, 1.5-5 cm long. Flowers cream to greenish white, in heads of 8-20 uniform flowers along a rachis. Fruits 10-15 cm long, spirally coiled into a circle, c. 5 cm across, green flushed pink eventually splitting open on both ends, seeds black with fleshy white or pinkish aril.