The main branches are borne on the upper half of the culms, those on the lower part being slender and armed with thorns.

The leaves are alternate, lanceolate, and up to 20 cm (8 in) long, and one grows from each node, with the lower part of the leaf sheathing the stem.

Its natural habitat is hillsides, valley bottoms and stream banks, where it forms tangled thickets, at altitudes up to about 300 m (1,000 ft).

The plant is used as a living fence between fields, as a windbreak around homesteads and to prevent erosion on river banks.

The poles are useful as a lightweight scaffolding but are not durable enough for building construction; other uses include basket-making, furniture manufacture, parquet, toys, chopsticks and kitchen utensils.