Leaves are alternate, compound, with thorns or spines.
The single or doubly compound leaves have small leaflets 1 to 1-1/2 inches long with rounded tips. They are dark green above and lighter or yellow-green beneath with margins very slightly toothed.
The twigs are slender, shiny, greenish brown to reddish brown. Older twigs,
branches and the trunk usually are armed with two to eight inch long thorns that are branched.
The fruit is a large, long, dark brown, flexible, curled pod, with seeds,
rounded, flattened and bean shaped. The green seed pods contain a honeylike
fluid from which the tree gets its name.
On branches and smaller trunks, the bark is dark red-brown and fairly
smooth. On larger trunks it breaks
into long, thin, longitudinal
ridges somewhat curled at the edges. The trunkis often armed with many
branched, stiff, sharp, pointed, reddish thorns. Sometimes trees are
almost free from thorns and a thornless variety has been produced for ornamental
use.
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