A small leguminous shrub or tree, grows up to 3 m high. Leaves are alternate, oubly pinnately compound, with 6 to 9 pairs of leaflet clusters per leaf and tiny ( 0.34 cm long) leaflets. Flowers not observed. Two long ( 3.0 cm ) red thorns appear at each leaf junction. Bark is brown with green stripes and cherry-like lenticles. Our specimen was picked in a cow pasture; large specimens cover steep hillsides and in the valley of the Limon river. Very common, in fields, ditches, forest.

Additional resources:

• Large botanical illustration