Erect shrub, varying in height, from 20cm to 3m, depending on habitat; branches ending in leafless thorns. Leaves  3-foliolate, leaflets awl-shaped, terete or angular, often slightly recurved, spine-tipped, glabrous; flowers 1-5 on thorny branches, pale or bright yellow or orange, standard sometimes partly violet, keel shortly hairy, calyx adpressed-hairy, lobes triangular, spine-tipped.