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4. TAXONOMIC TREATMENT

The taxonomy of Prosopis has undergone almost constant revision for over a century by relatively few taxonomists. This apparent lack of interest and confusion is understandable, for it is only recently that world attention has been drawn to the important ecological and economic role of this plant. Furthermore, the taxonomy of Prosopis is made difficult by the extreme variability between individual plants, even between the individuals within a well delineated species. Plants of Prosopis are highly adaptive. The nature of the morphology of most species varies with site and probably inherent genetic factors as well. Most species also readily hybridize; this tendency, coupled with gene resources that have been made more mobile by modern man, will not make classification any less difficult in the future.

The classification of Prosopis has been greatly clarified recently by the work of Arturo Burkart (1976 a, 1976 b) who has provided the most comprehensive taxonomic treatment of the genus as a whole. Burkart's classification, was completed in 1976, and it was further elucidated in 1977 by Burkart and Simpson. It is this latter classification that is used in this handbook.

Burkart recognized five distinctive groups of Prosopis, two of which are found in either Mexico, Chile or Peru. The groups are:

Algarobia de Candolle. These are species with paired or solitary axillary spines. The pods are variable but are always flattened and the seeds within the pod are arranged end to end. The insides of the petals and the ovaries are always hairy.

Strombocarpa Bentham. The species in this group have paired spines formed by modified stipules. The pods are either coiled with the seeds inside arranged end to end or short and roundish with the seeds stacked.


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