HABIT	A LOW-GROWING, MUCH-BRANCHED, PRICKLY, SPRAWLING SHRUB. IT GROWS 15-100 CM TALL AND IS ERECT OR MORE GENERALLY HAS A TRAILING GROWTH HABIT.
STEMS	WOODY AT THE BASE, STIFF, CYLINDRICAL, REDDISH-BROWN OR PURPLE, PUBESCENT AND BEAR SCATTERED PRICKLES ALONG THE INTERNODES. THE PRICKLES ARE 3-4 MM LONG, COMPRESSED, SLIGHTLY CURVED, HARD AND VERY SHARP.
LEAVES	DARK GREEN, BIPINNATE AND HAIRY. LEAFLETS 12-50, EACH 6- 12 MM LONG, 1.5 MM WIDE, OBLONG-LINEAR AND POINTED, GLABROUS ABOVE BUT WITH A HAIRY MARGIN AND LOWER SURFACE. LEAFLETS AND LEAVES FOLD UP RAPIDLY WHEN TOUCHED AND ALSO CLOSE AT NIGHT
FLOWERS	FLOWERS BRIGHT PURPLISH-PINK; OCCUR IN GLOBULAR OR OVOID HEADS ABOUT 9 MM IN DIAMETER.
FRUITS	FRUITS ARE BORNE IN CLUSTERS IN THE LEAF AXILS. EACH FRUIT IS AN OBLONG, FLATTENED, RECURVED POD ABOUT 8-20 MM LONG AND 2-6 MM WIDE CONTAINING 1-5 SEEDS. THE POD IS POINTED AT THE APEX, GLABROUS, EDGED WITH BRISTLES AND BREAKS INTO ONE-SEEDED SEGMENTS WHICH FALL AWAY FROM UNBROKEN MARGINAL SUTURES WHEN MATURE.
SEEDS	LIGHT-BROWN, FLATTENED, 2.5-3 MM IN DIAMETER AND WITH A FINELY GRANULAR SURFACE.