Prosopis glandulosa Torr.

Leguminosae

Synonyms

P. juliflora (Sw.) DC.
The "mesquite" of United States literature is generally P. juliflora. Taxonomy has been confused, and Schuster (1969) states that this latter species does not extend north of Mexico.

Description

Woody tree growing 4 to 8 m, very variable. For var. glandulosa, leaflets are 30 to 45 mm long and 8 to 15 times as long as broad, with 6 to 13 pairs per pinna. Var. torreyana has leaflets 15 to 25 mm long, 5 to 8 times as long as broad, with 10 to 15 pairs of pinnae.

Distribution

The typical variety occurs in most of Texas and north-eastern Mexico; var. torreyana is found in western Texas, New Mexico, extreme southern Arizona, and California (United States), and in Coahuila, Chihuahua, Baja California, and parts of Sonora (Mexico).

Characteristics

The mesquites provide food and shelter for livestock. Pods are relished by cattle, horses, sheep, goats and pigs. They are useful when ground into a meal (Marion et al., 1957). Sometimes jaw and tongue trouble occur in cattle from feeding mesquite beans (Dollahite and Anthony, 1957). Leaves are browsed to some extent by cattle, sheep and goats; they are eaten in the spring when young and tender. Generally, however, thickets of mesquite develop and become uncontrolled. Efforts are being made to eradicate or at least thin it out. Spraying with 2, 4, 5-T ester at 250 g/ha in a carrier of 1 part diesel oil: 7 parts water to make a total of 45 litres per hectare (Tschirley, 1962) is the best chemical control treatment.