Large, nearly evergreen tree that grows up to 20 m or more in height, Madras Thorn has a broad crown (to 30 m across) and a short trunk (to 1 m thick) At the base of each leaf is normally found a pair of short, sharp spines, though some specimens are spineless. Leaves are deciduous but foliage is persistent, as the new leaves appear while the old ones are being shed ; so that the tree looks like an evergreen. Flowers are disposed in small spherical glomerules of ca 1 cm in diameter, forming short axillary panicles of 5-30 cm in length. Flowers are white-greenish slightly fragrant 1.0-1.5 mm in diameter, with a hairy corolla, 50 thin stamina, connate in a tube at their basis, surrounded by the green calyx. Legumes are greenish-brown to red or pinkish, rather thin, 10-15 cm long x 1-2 cm wide. There are ca 10 seeds per pod ; pods are irregular in shape and flattened, set in a spirals of 1 to 3 whorls and strangled between the seeds - looks like the north Indian sweet, Jalebi, hence its common Hindi name.