Plant Description
A large shrub or small flowering tree with an irregularly rounded crown and drooping branches. Sprouting from lateral roots is common; may form dense thickets. Twigs have sharp thorns up to 2 inches long.
Thorny shrub or small tree, 1 to several trunks, crooked arched branches. Leaves smooth, bipinnately compound, 2 to 4 sets of primary leaves; 8 to 20 pairs of leaflets each. Flowers greenish or yellow in axils. Long flat pods constricted between seeds.
Habitat
Common in bottomlands and washes, on heavy soils in uplands and coarse soils of sandy flats.
Leaves
Leaves are bipinnately compound on short stalks. Usually 2 but occasionally 4 sets of primary leaves; each set is composed of 8 to 20 linear to oblong leaflets, each 7 to 12 times as long as wide. Leaves are hairless.
Flowers
Small, fragrant, greenish-yellow flowers are borne in elongated narrow clusters to 3 inches long. Calyx has a shallow, cup-like shape. Each 5 petaled flower has 10 protruding stamens.
Fruit
Spiraled or straight bean-like pods are to 8 inches long. Straight pods are somewhat flattened, 2 to 6 inches long and have slight constrictions between the seeds.