Prosopis
Encyclopedia
Prosopis is a genus
of flowering plant
s in the pea
family, Fabaceae
. It contains around 45 species of spiny
tree
s and shrub
s found in subtropical
and tropical
regions of the Americas
, Africa
, Western Asia, and South Asia
. They often thrive in arid
soil
and are resistant to drought
, on occasion developing extremely deep root
systems. Their wood
is usually hard, dense and durable. Their fruit
s are pods and may contain large amounts of sugar
. The generic name means "burdock
" in late Latin
and originated in the Greek language
.
Prosopis is a genus
of flowering plant
s in the pea
family, Fabaceae
. It contains around 45 species of spiny
tree
s and shrub
s found in subtropical
and tropical
regions of the Americas
, Africa
, Western Asia, and South Asia
. They often thrive in arid
soil
and are resistant to drought
, on occasion developing extremely deep root
systems. Their wood
is usually hard, dense and durable. Their fruit
s are pods and may contain large amounts of sugar
. The generic name means "burdock
" in late Latin
and originated in the Greek language
.
Prosopis is a genus
of flowering plant
s in the pea
family, Fabaceae
. It contains around 45 species of spiny
tree
s and shrub
s found in subtropical
and tropical
regions of the Americas
, Africa
, Western Asia, and South Asia
. They often thrive in arid
soil
and are resistant to drought
, on occasion developing extremely deep root
systems. Their wood
is usually hard, dense and durable. Their fruit
s are pods and may contain large amounts of sugar
. The generic name means "burdock
" in late Latin
and originated in the Greek language
.
, isorhamnetin-3-diglucoside, l-arabinose, quercetin
, tannin
and tryptamine
.
The tannins present in Prosopis species are of the phytogallotannin
s and pyrocatecollic types (Rocha 1990). Tannins of tropical woods tend to be of a cathetic nature rather than of the gallic type present in temperate woods (Doat 1978). The tannins are mainly found in the bark and wood while their concentration in the pods is low.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s in the pea
Pea
A pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the pod fruit Pisum sativum. Each pod contains several peas. Peapods are botanically a fruit, since they contain seeds developed from the ovary of a flower. However, peas are considered to be a vegetable in cooking...
family, Fabaceae
Fabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
. It contains around 45 species of spiny
Thorns, spines, and prickles
In botanical morphology, thorns, spines, and prickles are hard structures with sharp, or at least pointed, ends. In spite of this common feature, they differ in their growth and development on the plant; they are modified versions of different plant organs, stems, stipules, leaf veins, or hairs...
tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s and shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s found in subtropical
Subtropics
The subtropics are the geographical and climatical zone of the Earth immediately north and south of the tropical zone, which is bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, at latitudes 23.5°N and 23.5°S...
and tropical
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
regions of the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Western Asia, and South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
. They often thrive in arid
Arid
A region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...
soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
and are resistant to drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
, on occasion developing extremely deep root
Root
In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
systems. Their wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
is usually hard, dense and durable. Their fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s are pods and may contain large amounts of sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
. The generic name means "burdock
Burdock
Burdock is any of a group of biennial thistles in the genus Arctium, family Asteraceae. Native to the Old World, several species have been widely introduced worldwide....
" in late Latin
Late Latin
Late Latin is the scholarly name for the written Latin of Late Antiquity. The English dictionary definition of Late Latin dates this period from the 3rd to the 6th centuries AD extending in Spain to the 7th. This somewhat ambiguously defined period fits between Classical Latin and Medieval Latin...
and originated in the Greek language
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
.
Selected species
- MesquiteMesquiteMesquite is a leguminous plant of the Prosopis genus found in northern Mexico through the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Deserts, and up into the Southwestern United States as far north as southern Kansas, west to the Colorado Desert in California,and east to the eastern fifth of Texas, where...
s (southern United StatesSouthern United StatesThe Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
)- Prosopis glandulosa Torr. – Honey Mesquite; Haas (Cmiique IitomSeri languageSeri is a language isolate spoken by the Seri people by between 716 and 900 people in two villages on the coast of Sonora, Mexico.-Classification:...
) - Prosopis laevigataProsopis laevigataProsopis laevigata, commonly known as Smooth Mesquite, is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae family, that is native to Mexico, Bolivia, Peru, and northwestern Argentina . In Mexico, the species is found in the nation's the central highlands, the lowlands of southern...
(Humb.Alexander von HumboldtFriedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander Freiherr von Humboldt was a German naturalist and explorer, and the younger brother of the Prussian minister, philosopher and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt...
& Bonpl.Aimé BonplandAimé Jacques Alexandre Bonpland was a French explorer and botanist.Bonpland's real name was Goujaud, and he was born in La Rochelle, a coastal city in France. After serving as a surgeon in the French army, and studying under J. N...
ex Willd.Carl Ludwig WilldenowCarl Ludwig Willdenow was a German botanist, pharmacist, and plant taxonomist. He is considered one of the founders of phytogeography, the study of the geographic distribution of plants...
) M.C.Johnst. – Smooth Mesquite - Prosopis pubescensProsopis pubescensProsopis pubescens, commonly known as Screwbean Mesquite or Tornillo, is a species of flowering shrub or small tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico .-Description:This plant grows to about...
Benth.George BenthamGeorge Bentham CMG FRS was an English botanist, characterized by Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century".- Formative years :...
– Screwbean Mesquite - Prosopis reptans Benth. – Tornillo
- Prosopis velutinaProsopis velutinaProsopis velutina, commonly known as velvet mesquite, is a small to medium sized perennial tree. It is a legume adapted to a dry, desert climate. Though considered to be a noxious weed in states outside its natural range, it plays a vital role in the ecology of the Sonoran...
WootonE. O. WootonElmer Otis Wooton , was an American botanist, professor of chemistry and botany at New Mexico State College from 1890 to 1911, assistant curator at the National Herbarium in 1910, and employed by the US Department of Agriculture from 1911 to 1935....
– Velvet Mesquite
- Prosopis glandulosa Torr. – Honey Mesquite; Haas (Cmiique Iitom
- "AlgarroboAlgarroboAlgarrobo may refer to:* The European carob tree * South American trees of the genus Prosopis* On Cuba, the Albizia saman tree * Algarrobo, Chile, a city in Chile* Algarrobo, Magdalena a town in Colombia...
s", bayahondas etc. (Neotropics, particularly the Gran ChacoGran ChacoThe Gran Chaco is a sparsely populated, hot and semi-arid lowland region of the Río de la Plata basin, divided among eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, northern Argentina and a portion of the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, where it is connected with the Pantanal region...
)- Prosopis abbreviataProsopis abbreviataProsopis abbreviata, commonly known as the Algarrobillo Espinoso, is a species of flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is endemic to Argentina.It is threatened by habitat loss....
Benth. – Algarrobillo Espinoso - Prosopis affinisProsopis affinisProsopis affinis is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Common names include Algarrobillo, Espinillo, Ibopé-Morotí, and Ñandubay. It is threatened by habitat loss....
Spreng. – Ñandubay, Algarrobillo, Espinillo, Ibopé-Morotí - Prosopis albaProsopis albaProsopis alba is a South American tree species that inhabits the center part of Argentina, the Gran Chaco ecoregion and part of the Argentine Mesopotamia. It is known as Algarrobo Blanco in Spanish, which means "white carob tree"...
Griseb.August GrisebachAugust Heinrich Rudolf Grisebach was a German botanist and phytogeographer. Born in Hannover on April 17, 1814, he died at Göttingen on May 9, 1879.- Biography :...
- Prosopis abbreviata
Prosopis is a genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s in the pea
Pea
A pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the pod fruit Pisum sativum. Each pod contains several peas. Peapods are botanically a fruit, since they contain seeds developed from the ovary of a flower. However, peas are considered to be a vegetable in cooking...
family, Fabaceae
Fabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
. It contains around 45 species of spiny
Thorns, spines, and prickles
In botanical morphology, thorns, spines, and prickles are hard structures with sharp, or at least pointed, ends. In spite of this common feature, they differ in their growth and development on the plant; they are modified versions of different plant organs, stems, stipules, leaf veins, or hairs...
tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s and shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s found in subtropical
Subtropics
The subtropics are the geographical and climatical zone of the Earth immediately north and south of the tropical zone, which is bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, at latitudes 23.5°N and 23.5°S...
and tropical
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
regions of the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Western Asia, and South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
. They often thrive in arid
Arid
A region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...
soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
and are resistant to drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
, on occasion developing extremely deep root
Root
In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
systems. Their wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
is usually hard, dense and durable. Their fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s are pods and may contain large amounts of sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
. The generic name means "burdock
Burdock
Burdock is any of a group of biennial thistles in the genus Arctium, family Asteraceae. Native to the Old World, several species have been widely introduced worldwide....
" in late Latin
Late Latin
Late Latin is the scholarly name for the written Latin of Late Antiquity. The English dictionary definition of Late Latin dates this period from the 3rd to the 6th centuries AD extending in Spain to the 7th. This somewhat ambiguously defined period fits between Classical Latin and Medieval Latin...
and originated in the Greek language
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
.
Selected species
- MesquiteMesquiteMesquite is a leguminous plant of the Prosopis genus found in northern Mexico through the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Deserts, and up into the Southwestern United States as far north as southern Kansas, west to the Colorado Desert in California,and east to the eastern fifth of Texas, where...
s (southern United StatesSouthern United StatesThe Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
)- Prosopis glandulosa Torr. – Honey Mesquite; Haas (Cmiique IitomSeri languageSeri is a language isolate spoken by the Seri people by between 716 and 900 people in two villages on the coast of Sonora, Mexico.-Classification:...
) - Prosopis laevigataProsopis laevigataProsopis laevigata, commonly known as Smooth Mesquite, is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae family, that is native to Mexico, Bolivia, Peru, and northwestern Argentina . In Mexico, the species is found in the nation's the central highlands, the lowlands of southern...
(Humb.Alexander von HumboldtFriedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander Freiherr von Humboldt was a German naturalist and explorer, and the younger brother of the Prussian minister, philosopher and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt...
& Bonpl.Aimé BonplandAimé Jacques Alexandre Bonpland was a French explorer and botanist.Bonpland's real name was Goujaud, and he was born in La Rochelle, a coastal city in France. After serving as a surgeon in the French army, and studying under J. N...
ex Willd.Carl Ludwig WilldenowCarl Ludwig Willdenow was a German botanist, pharmacist, and plant taxonomist. He is considered one of the founders of phytogeography, the study of the geographic distribution of plants...
) M.C.Johnst. – Smooth Mesquite - Prosopis pubescensProsopis pubescensProsopis pubescens, commonly known as Screwbean Mesquite or Tornillo, is a species of flowering shrub or small tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico .-Description:This plant grows to about...
Benth.George BenthamGeorge Bentham CMG FRS was an English botanist, characterized by Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century".- Formative years :...
– Screwbean Mesquite - Prosopis reptans Benth. – Tornillo
- Prosopis velutinaProsopis velutinaProsopis velutina, commonly known as velvet mesquite, is a small to medium sized perennial tree. It is a legume adapted to a dry, desert climate. Though considered to be a noxious weed in states outside its natural range, it plays a vital role in the ecology of the Sonoran...
WootonE. O. WootonElmer Otis Wooton , was an American botanist, professor of chemistry and botany at New Mexico State College from 1890 to 1911, assistant curator at the National Herbarium in 1910, and employed by the US Department of Agriculture from 1911 to 1935....
– Velvet Mesquite
- Prosopis glandulosa Torr. – Honey Mesquite; Haas (Cmiique Iitom
- "AlgarroboAlgarroboAlgarrobo may refer to:* The European carob tree * South American trees of the genus Prosopis* On Cuba, the Albizia saman tree * Algarrobo, Chile, a city in Chile* Algarrobo, Magdalena a town in Colombia...
s", bayahondas etc. (Neotropics, particularly the Gran ChacoGran ChacoThe Gran Chaco is a sparsely populated, hot and semi-arid lowland region of the Río de la Plata basin, divided among eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, northern Argentina and a portion of the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, where it is connected with the Pantanal region...
)- Prosopis abbreviataProsopis abbreviataProsopis abbreviata, commonly known as the Algarrobillo Espinoso, is a species of flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is endemic to Argentina.It is threatened by habitat loss....
Benth. – Algarrobillo Espinoso - Prosopis affinisProsopis affinisProsopis affinis is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Common names include Algarrobillo, Espinillo, Ibopé-Morotí, and Ñandubay. It is threatened by habitat loss....
Spreng. – Ñandubay, Algarrobillo, Espinillo, Ibopé-Morotí - Prosopis albaProsopis albaProsopis alba is a South American tree species that inhabits the center part of Argentina, the Gran Chaco ecoregion and part of the Argentine Mesopotamia. It is known as Algarrobo Blanco in Spanish, which means "white carob tree"...
Griseb.August GrisebachAugust Heinrich Rudolf Grisebach was a German botanist and phytogeographer. Born in Hannover on April 17, 1814, he died at Göttingen on May 9, 1879.- Biography :...
- Prosopis abbreviata
Prosopis is a genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s in the pea
Pea
A pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the pod fruit Pisum sativum. Each pod contains several peas. Peapods are botanically a fruit, since they contain seeds developed from the ovary of a flower. However, peas are considered to be a vegetable in cooking...
family, Fabaceae
Fabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
. It contains around 45 species of spiny
Thorns, spines, and prickles
In botanical morphology, thorns, spines, and prickles are hard structures with sharp, or at least pointed, ends. In spite of this common feature, they differ in their growth and development on the plant; they are modified versions of different plant organs, stems, stipules, leaf veins, or hairs...
tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s and shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s found in subtropical
Subtropics
The subtropics are the geographical and climatical zone of the Earth immediately north and south of the tropical zone, which is bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, at latitudes 23.5°N and 23.5°S...
and tropical
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
regions of the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Western Asia, and South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
. They often thrive in arid
Arid
A region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...
soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
and are resistant to drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
, on occasion developing extremely deep root
Root
In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
systems. Their wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
is usually hard, dense and durable. Their fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s are pods and may contain large amounts of sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
. The generic name means "burdock
Burdock
Burdock is any of a group of biennial thistles in the genus Arctium, family Asteraceae. Native to the Old World, several species have been widely introduced worldwide....
" in late Latin
Late Latin
Late Latin is the scholarly name for the written Latin of Late Antiquity. The English dictionary definition of Late Latin dates this period from the 3rd to the 6th centuries AD extending in Spain to the 7th. This somewhat ambiguously defined period fits between Classical Latin and Medieval Latin...
and originated in the Greek language
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
.
Selected species
- MesquiteMesquiteMesquite is a leguminous plant of the Prosopis genus found in northern Mexico through the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Deserts, and up into the Southwestern United States as far north as southern Kansas, west to the Colorado Desert in California,and east to the eastern fifth of Texas, where...
s (southern United StatesSouthern United StatesThe Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
)- Prosopis glandulosa Torr. – Honey Mesquite; Haas (Cmiique IitomSeri languageSeri is a language isolate spoken by the Seri people by between 716 and 900 people in two villages on the coast of Sonora, Mexico.-Classification:...
) - Prosopis laevigataProsopis laevigataProsopis laevigata, commonly known as Smooth Mesquite, is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae family, that is native to Mexico, Bolivia, Peru, and northwestern Argentina . In Mexico, the species is found in the nation's the central highlands, the lowlands of southern...
(Humb.Alexander von HumboldtFriedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander Freiherr von Humboldt was a German naturalist and explorer, and the younger brother of the Prussian minister, philosopher and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt...
& Bonpl.Aimé BonplandAimé Jacques Alexandre Bonpland was a French explorer and botanist.Bonpland's real name was Goujaud, and he was born in La Rochelle, a coastal city in France. After serving as a surgeon in the French army, and studying under J. N...
ex Willd.Carl Ludwig WilldenowCarl Ludwig Willdenow was a German botanist, pharmacist, and plant taxonomist. He is considered one of the founders of phytogeography, the study of the geographic distribution of plants...
) M.C.Johnst. – Smooth Mesquite - Prosopis pubescensProsopis pubescensProsopis pubescens, commonly known as Screwbean Mesquite or Tornillo, is a species of flowering shrub or small tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico .-Description:This plant grows to about...
Benth.George BenthamGeorge Bentham CMG FRS was an English botanist, characterized by Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century".- Formative years :...
– Screwbean Mesquite - Prosopis reptans Benth. – Tornillo
- Prosopis velutinaProsopis velutinaProsopis velutina, commonly known as velvet mesquite, is a small to medium sized perennial tree. It is a legume adapted to a dry, desert climate. Though considered to be a noxious weed in states outside its natural range, it plays a vital role in the ecology of the Sonoran...
WootonE. O. WootonElmer Otis Wooton , was an American botanist, professor of chemistry and botany at New Mexico State College from 1890 to 1911, assistant curator at the National Herbarium in 1910, and employed by the US Department of Agriculture from 1911 to 1935....
– Velvet Mesquite
- Prosopis glandulosa Torr. – Honey Mesquite; Haas (Cmiique Iitom
- "AlgarroboAlgarroboAlgarrobo may refer to:* The European carob tree * South American trees of the genus Prosopis* On Cuba, the Albizia saman tree * Algarrobo, Chile, a city in Chile* Algarrobo, Magdalena a town in Colombia...
s", bayahondas etc. (Neotropics, particularly the Gran ChacoGran ChacoThe Gran Chaco is a sparsely populated, hot and semi-arid lowland region of the Río de la Plata basin, divided among eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, northern Argentina and a portion of the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, where it is connected with the Pantanal region...
)- Prosopis abbreviataProsopis abbreviataProsopis abbreviata, commonly known as the Algarrobillo Espinoso, is a species of flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is endemic to Argentina.It is threatened by habitat loss....
Benth. – Algarrobillo Espinoso - Prosopis affinisProsopis affinisProsopis affinis is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Common names include Algarrobillo, Espinillo, Ibopé-Morotí, and Ñandubay. It is threatened by habitat loss....
Spreng. – Ñandubay, Algarrobillo, Espinillo, Ibopé-Morotí - Prosopis albaProsopis albaProsopis alba is a South American tree species that inhabits the center part of Argentina, the Gran Chaco ecoregion and part of the Argentine Mesopotamia. It is known as Algarrobo Blanco in Spanish, which means "white carob tree"...
Griseb.August GrisebachAugust Heinrich Rudolf Grisebach was a German botanist and phytogeographer. Born in Hannover on April 17, 1814, he died at Göttingen on May 9, 1879.- Biography :...
– Caldén - Prosopis chilensis (MolinaJosé Antonio Molina RositoJosé Antonio Molina Rosito , usually known as Antonio Molina, is a Honduran botanist and Professor emeritus at the Zamorano Pan-American School of Agriculture....
) Stuntz – Algarrobo Chileno, Algarrobo Blanco - Prosopis fiebrigii HarmsHermann HarmsHermann August Theodor Harms was a German taxonomist and botanist. In 1938 he revised the pitcher plant genus Nepenthes, dividing it into three subgenera: Anurosperma, Eunepenthes and Mesonepenthes....
- Prosopis flexuosa DC.A. P. de CandolleAugustin Pyramus de Candolle also spelled Augustin Pyrame de Candolle was a Swiss botanist. René Louiche Desfontaines launched Candolle's botanical career by recommending him at an herbarium...
– Alpataco, Algarrobo Negro - Prosopis hassleri Harms
- Prosopis julifloraProsopis julifloraProsopis juliflora is a shrub or small tree native to Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. It has become established as a weed in Asia, Australia and elsewhere. Its uses include forage, wood and environmental management. The tree grows to a height of up to and has a trunk with a diameter of...
(Sw.Olof SwartzOlof Peter Swartz was a Swedish botanist and taxonomist. He is best known for his taxonomic work and studies into pteridophytes...
) DC. – Bayahonda Blanca, Bayarone Français; Kabuli Kikar, Vilayati Babul, Vilayati Khejra or Vilayati Kikar (HindiHindiStandard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
); Trupillo or Turpío (WayuunaikiWayuu languageThe Wayuu language, or Goajiro , is spoken by 305,000 indigenous Wayuu people in northeastern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela on the Guajira Peninsula....
) - Prosopis kuntzeiProsopis kuntzeiProsopis kuntzei is a South American leguminous tree species that inhabits the westernmost Gran Chaco forests covering areas of Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay, where it acts as natural component. It has also been able to colonize the nearby pasture sabanas. It's commonly referred to as itín,...
Harms ex KuntzeOtto KuntzeOtto Carl Ernst Kuntze was a German botanist.-Biography:Otto Kuntze was born in Leipzig.An apothecary in his early career, he published an essay entitled Pocket Fauna of Leipzig. Between 1863 and...
– Itín, Barba de tigre, Carandá, Palo Mataco - Prosopis nigraProsopis nigraProsopis nigra is a South American leguminous tree species that inhabits the Gran Chaco ecoregion , in Argentina and Paraguay...
(Griseb.) Hieron.Georg Hans Emmo Wolfgang HieronymusGeorg Hans Emmo Wolfgang Hieronymus was a European botanist of German extraction. He was born in Silesia and died in Berlin. He began his career as a medical student in Zürich and Bern from 1868 to 1870, but became interested in botany, instead. He then studied at the University of Halle where...
– Algarrobo Negro, Algarrobo Amarillo, Algarrobo Dulce, Algarrobo Morado - Prosopis pallidaProsopis pallidaProsopis pallida is a species of mesquite tree. It has the common names kiawe, huarango, and American carob, as well as "bayahonda" and "algarrobo blanco" . It is a thorny legume, native to Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, particularly drier areas near the coast...
(Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) KunthCarl Sigismund KunthCarl Sigismund Kunth , also Karl Sigismund Kunth or anglicized as Charles Sigismund Kunth, was a German botanist...
– American Carob, Huarango, Kiawe (HawaiianHawaiian languageThe Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
) - Prosopis rojasiana Burkart
- Prosopis ruscifolia Griseb. – Vinal
- Prosopis strombuliferaProsopis strombuliferaProsopis strombulifera is a species of mesquite or algarrobo, a shrub in the legume family. It is known by the English common names Argentine screwbean and creeping screwbean and the Spanish common name retortuño. This shrub is native to Argentina, where it grows in saline soils...
(Lam.Jean-Baptiste LamarckJean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, Chevalier de la Marck , often known simply as Lamarck, was a French naturalist...
) Benth. – Creeping Mesquite, Argentine Screwbean - Prosopis tamarugoProsopis tamarugoProsopis tamarugo, commonly known as the Tamarugo, is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. It is only found in northern Chile, particularly in the Pampa del Tamarugal, some east of the city of Iquique. This bushy tree apparently grows without the benefit of rainfall, and...
Phil. – Tamarugo
- Prosopis abbreviata
- AfricaAfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n species- Prosopis africana (Guill.Jean Baptiste Antoine GuilleminJean Baptiste Antoine Guillemin was a French botanist.In 1812 he was apprenticed to a pharmacist in Dijon, and in 1814 moved to Geneva, where he studied with Jean Pierre Étienne Vaucher and Augustin Pyramus de Candolle...
& Perr.George Samuel PerrottetGeorge Samuel Perrottet was a Swiss-born, French botanist and horticulturalist who was a native of Vully, canton Vaud....
) Taub. – African Mesquite
- Prosopis africana (Guill.
- AsiaAsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n species (IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, mainly RajasthanRajasthanRājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, to the Arabian PeninsulaArabian PeninsulaThe Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
)- Prosopis cinerariaProsopis cinerariaProsopis cineraria is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to arid portions of Western and South Asia, such as the Arabian and Thar Deserts...
(L.) DruceGeorge Claridge DruceGeorge Claridge Druce, MA, LLD, JP, FRS, FLS was an English botanist and a Mayor of Oxford.G. Claridge Druce was born at Potterspury on Watling Street in Northamptonshire. He was the illegitimate son of Jane Druce, born 1815 in Buckinghamshire.He went to school in the village of Yardley Gobion....
– Jand; Ghaf (Arabic); Sami or Sumri (GujaratiGujarati languageGujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
); Khejri, Sangri (RajasthaniRajasthani languageRajasthani Rajasthani Rajasthani (Devanagari: , Perso-Arabic: is a language of the Indo-Aryan languages family. It is spoken by 50 million people in Rajasthan and other states of India and in some areas of Pakistan. The number of speakers may be up to 80 million worldwide...
); Kandi (SindhiSindhi languageSindhi is the language of the Sindh region of Pakistan that is spoken by the Sindhi people. In India, it is among 22 constitutionally recognized languages, where Sindhis are a sizeable minority. It is spoken by 53,410,910 people in Pakistan, according to the national government's Statistics Division...
) - Prosopis farcta (Sol.Daniel SolanderDaniel Carlsson Solander or Daniel Charles Solander was a Swedish naturalist and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus. Solander was the first university educated scientist to set foot on Australian soil.-Biography:...
ex Russell) J.F.Macbr. – Syrian Mesquite
- Prosopis cineraria
Formerly placed here
- Acacia atramentaria Benth. (as P. astringens Gillies ex Hook. & Arn.)
- Elephantorrhiza elephantina (Burch.) Skeels (as P. elephantina (Burch.) E.Mey. or P. elephantorrhiza Spreng.)
- Prosopidastrum globosum (Gillies ex Hook. & Arn.) Burkart (as P. globosa Gillies ex Hook. & Arn.)
Phytochemistry
Prosopis species have been found to contain 5-hydroxytryptamine, apigeninApigenin
Apigenin is a flavone that is the aglycone of several glycosides. It is a yellow crystalline solid that has been used to dye wool. Apigenin may contribute to the chemopreventive action of vegetables and fruits...
, isorhamnetin-3-diglucoside, l-arabinose, quercetin
Quercetin
Quercetin , a flavonol, is a plant-derived flavonoid found in fruits, vegetables, leaves and grains. It also may be used as an ingredient in supplements, beverages or foods.-Occurrence:...
, tannin
Tannin
A tannin is an astringent, bitter plant polyphenolic compound that binds to and precipitates proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids.The term tannin refers to the use of...
and tryptamine
Tryptamine
Tryptamine is a monoamine alkaloid found in plants, fungi, and animals. It is based around the indole ring structure, and is chemically related to the amino acid tryptophan, from which its name is derived...
.
| Prosopis alba Prosopis alba Prosopis alba is a South American tree species that inhabits the center part of Argentina, the Gran Chaco ecoregion and part of the Argentine Mesopotamia. It is known as Algarrobo Blanco in Spanish, which means "white carob tree"... |
Beta-phenethylamine Phenethylamine Phenylethylamine or phenethylamine is a natural monoamine alkaloid, trace amine, and also the name of a class of chemicals with many members well known for psychoactive drug and stimulant effects. Studies suggest that phenylethylamine functions as a neuromodulator or neurotransmitter in the... and tryptamine |
| Prosopis alpataco | "Aerial parts" contain tryptamine. Phenethylamine Phenethylamine Phenylethylamine or phenethylamine is a natural monoamine alkaloid, trace amine, and also the name of a class of chemicals with many members well known for psychoactive drug and stimulant effects. Studies suggest that phenylethylamine functions as a neuromodulator or neurotransmitter in the... derivatives. |
| Prosopis argentina | "Aerial parts" contain tryptamine. Phenethylamine Phenethylamine Phenylethylamine or phenethylamine is a natural monoamine alkaloid, trace amine, and also the name of a class of chemicals with many members well known for psychoactive drug and stimulant effects. Studies suggest that phenylethylamine functions as a neuromodulator or neurotransmitter in the... derivatives. |
| Prosopis chilensis | "Aerial parts" contain beta-phenethylamine and derivatives plus tryptamine |
| Prosopis argentina | Exudate contains tryptamine. Phenethylamine Phenethylamine Phenylethylamine or phenethylamine is a natural monoamine alkaloid, trace amine, and also the name of a class of chemicals with many members well known for psychoactive drug and stimulant effects. Studies suggest that phenylethylamine functions as a neuromodulator or neurotransmitter in the... derivatives. |
| Prosopis glandulosa Honey Mesquite Prosopis glandulosa, commonly known as honey mesquite, is a species of small to medium-sized flowering tree in the legume family, Fabaceae. It is native to the Southwestern United States and Mexico, growing as far north as southern Kansas and as far east as the eastern fifth of Texas, where... |
Alkaloid Alkaloid Alkaloids are a group of naturally occurring chemical compounds that contain mostly basic nitrogen atoms. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Also some synthetic compounds of similar structure are attributed to alkaloids... s in bark and roots, tyramine Tyramine Tyramine is a naturally occurring monoamine compound and trace amine derived from the amino acid tyrosine. Tyramine acts as a catecholamine releasing agent... and N-methyltyramine N-Methyltyramine N-Methyltyramine is a natural phenethylamine alkaloid found in a variety of plants. Biosynthetically, it is produced by the methylation of tyramine via the action of the enzyme tyramine N-methyltransferase.... (a stimulant) in leaves |
| Prosopis juliflora Prosopis juliflora Prosopis juliflora is a shrub or small tree native to Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. It has become established as a weed in Asia, Australia and elsewhere. Its uses include forage, wood and environmental management. The tree grows to a height of up to and has a trunk with a diameter of... |
5-HTP (plant) and tryptamine Tryptamine Tryptamine is a monoamine alkaloid found in plants, fungi, and animals. It is based around the indole ring structure, and is chemically related to the amino acid tryptophan, from which its name is derived... (plant). |
| Prosopis nigra Prosopis nigra Prosopis nigra is a South American leguminous tree species that inhabits the Gran Chaco ecoregion , in Argentina and Paraguay... |
Harman Harman - Places :* Harman, Australian Capital Territory* Hărman, Romania* Harman, West Virginia* Harmans, Maryland* Harman, Virginia- Other uses :* Harman , 1-methyl-9H-b-carboline, one of the harmala alkaloids, a reversible inhibitor of MAO-A... , eleagnine and N-acetyltryptamine |
| Prosopis pugionata | "Aerial parts" contain tryptamine. Phenethylamine Phenethylamine Phenylethylamine or phenethylamine is a natural monoamine alkaloid, trace amine, and also the name of a class of chemicals with many members well known for psychoactive drug and stimulant effects. Studies suggest that phenylethylamine functions as a neuromodulator or neurotransmitter in the... derivatives. |
| Prosopis tamarugo Prosopis tamarugo Prosopis tamarugo, commonly known as the Tamarugo, is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. It is only found in northern Chile, particularly in the Pampa del Tamarugal, some east of the city of Iquique. This bushy tree apparently grows without the benefit of rainfall, and... |
Phenethylamine Phenethylamine Phenylethylamine or phenethylamine is a natural monoamine alkaloid, trace amine, and also the name of a class of chemicals with many members well known for psychoactive drug and stimulant effects. Studies suggest that phenylethylamine functions as a neuromodulator or neurotransmitter in the... |
The tannins present in Prosopis species are of the phytogallotannin
Gallotannin
A gallotannin is a class of molecules belonging to the hydrolysable tannins. Gallotannins are polymers formed when gallic acid, a polyphenol monomer, esterifies and binds with the hydroxyl group of a polyol carbohydrate such as glucose.-Metabolism:...
s and pyrocatecollic types (Rocha 1990). Tannins of tropical woods tend to be of a cathetic nature rather than of the gallic type present in temperate woods (Doat 1978). The tannins are mainly found in the bark and wood while their concentration in the pods is low.
General references
- Paciecznik, N. M., Harris P. J. C., & S. J. Smith. 2003. Identifying Tropical Prosopis Species: A Field Guide. HDRA, Coventry, UK. ISBN 0-905343-34-4.
- Handbook on taxonomy of Prosopis in Mexico, Peru and Chile (FAO Document Repository)
- Plant Walk I: Old Main (website of the Vascular Plant Herbarium of the University of Arizona in Tucson)
- Plant Walk 1 UofA
- Plant Walk 2 UofA