A moderate sized tree with yellowish bark, young branches velvety pubescent. Spines stipular, in pairs, straight, 3-25 mm or absent. Rachis 2.5-10 cm long, usually with glands between the lowest and uppermost 2-3 pairs of pinnae. Pinnae 3-15 pairs, c. 1.3-3.8 cm long; leaflets 6-30 pairs, sessile, 2.5-8 mm long, 1-2 mm broad, linear-oblong, glabrous or nearly so, obtuse, base oblique. Inflorescence pedunculate heads arranged in large terminal tomentose panicles, lower branches axillary; peduncle 7-10 mm long, tomentose, bracts whorled and fused basally, about or below the middle of the peduncle, c. 1.5 mm long. Calyx c. 1.2 mm long, campanulate, villous. Corolla c. 2.5 mm long, hairy outside. Pod 10-15 cm long, 7-10 mm broad, flat, sessile, brown velvety when young, semi-dehiscent. Seeds 10-20.

Type: Dry mountains of Coromandel, Roxb., Corom.Pl.2:t.150.1798.

Fl.Per. August-November.

Distribution: W. Pakistan, India (Punjab, Rajasthan, U.P., Madhya Pradesh, Bengal, Bombay, Madras) ; Ceylon, Burma, Siam, Indonesia, Java.

The wood is strong, hard and tough. It is used for agricultural implements, oil mills, carts and cart wheels and for turnery. It is also used as fuel. The fibres of the bark are used for coarse cordage. The bark is said to be a clarifying and flavouring agent in the preparation of spirit from sugar and palm juice. The gum is used in indiginous medicine and the pods are generally gathered for fodder.