Neltuma glandulosa

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Neltuma glandulosa
Prosopis-glandulosa-foliage.JPG
Foliage with seedpods
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Clade: Mimosoid clade
Genus: Neltuma
Species:
N. glandulosa
Binomial name
Neltuma glandulosa
Varieties

Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa
Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana [3]

Contents

Prosopis juliflora range map.jpg
Natural range
Synonyms

Prosopis juliflora var. glandulosa(Torr.)

Neltuma glandulosa'(Torr.)

Neltuma glandulosa, formerly Prosopis glandulosa, commonly known as honey mesquite, [4] is a species of small to medium-sized, thorny shrub [5] or tree in the legume family (Fabaceae).

Distribution

The plant is primarily native to the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. Its range extends on the northeast through Texas and into southwestern Kansas and Oklahoma and northwestern Louisiana (the South Central states), and west to southern California. [3]

It can be part of the Mesquite Bosque plant association community in the Sonoran Desert ecoregion of California and Arizona (U.S.), and Sonora state (México), and in the Chihuahuan Desert of New Mexico and Texas in the US, and Chihuahua in Mexico.

Description

Seedpods Prosopis-glandulosa-seed-pods.jpg
Seedpods

Neltuma glandulosa has rounded, big and floppy, drooping branches with feathery foliage and straight, paired thorns on twigs. This tree normally reaches 20–30 ft (6.1–9.1 m), but can grow as tall as 50 ft (15 m). It is considered to have a medium growth rate.

It flowers from March to November, with pale, yellow, elongated spikes and bears straight seedpods, which are yellow or maroon. The seeds are eaten by a variety of animals, such as scaled quail. Other animals, including deer, collared peccaries, coyotes, cactus mice, and jackrabbits, feed on both pods and vegetation. [6]

Varieties

Invasive species

Prosopis glandulosa has been intentionally introduced into at least a half-dozen countries, including Australia, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. [9] The IUCN considers it as one of the world's 100 worst invasive species outside its native habitat range. [10] [11]

The seeds are disseminated by livestock that graze on the sweet pods, and the shrubs can invade grasslands, with cattlemen regarding mesquites as range weeds to be eradicated. [12] Due to latent buds underground, permanent removal is difficult. Cutting them will only coppice them: A single-trunked tree that is cut down will soon be replaced by a multi-trunked version. [13]

Uses

Neltuma glandulosa shrubs and trees provide shelter and nest building material for wildlife, and produce seed pods in abundance containing beans that are a seasonal food for diverse birds and small mammal species. [5] As the common name indicates, honey mesquite is a honey plant that supports native pollinator species of bees and other insects, and cultivated honey bees. [12] It is a larval host for the long-tailed skipper and Reakirt's blue butterflies.

Mesquite flour is high in protein, low in carbohydrates, and can be used in recipes as a gluten-free substitute for wheat flour.

Within its native range, its wood smoke is used to flavor meats when cooked over a mesquite fire. This is particularly popular in Texas in the US.

In Namibia, although an invasive species, it has qualities that have made it useful for humans, including: growing extremely rapidly there, having very dense shade, abundantly producing seed pods, and a readily available firewood. [14]

Indigenous peoples

The indigenous peoples of California and southwestern North America use parts of N. glandulosa as a medicinal plant, food source, building and tools material, and fuel. [15] The Cahuilla eat the blossoms and pods, which were ground into meal for cake. [16] [17] The Pueblo peoples of New Mexico in the southwest United States use the seeds to produce mesquite flour for making traditional horno bread.[ citation needed ] The thorns of the plant are used as tattoo needles, and the ashes for tattoos, by the Cahuilla and Serrano Indians of Southern California. [5] Its dense and durable wood is prized for making tools and arrow points, [5] and for the unique flavor it lends to foods cooked over it. The deep taproots, often larger than the trunks, are dug up for firewood.

This species of mesquite, known as haas (pronounced [ʔaːs] ) by the Seri people of northwestern Mexico, is very important for food and nonfood uses. The Seris have specific names for various stages of the growth of the mesquite pod. [18] Historically, it was a very important wild food plant because it fruits even during drought years. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honey locust</span> Species of tree native to central North America

The honey locust, also known as the thorny locust or thorny honeylocust, is a deciduous tree in the family Fabaceae, native to central North America where it is mostly found in the moist soil of river valleys. Honey locust trees are highly adaptable to different environments, and the species has been introduced worldwide. Outside its natural range it can be an aggressive, damaging invasive species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mesquite</span> Several species of leguminous trees

Mesquite is a common name for some plants in the genus Prosopis and Neltuma, both of which contain over 40 species of small leguminous trees. They are native to dry areas in the Americas. They have extremely long roots to seek water from very far under ground. As a legume, mesquites are one of the few sources of fixed nitrogen in the desert habitat. The trees bloom from spring to summer. They often produce fruits known as "pods". Prosopis spp. are able to grow up to 8 metres (26 ft) tall, depending on site and climate. They are deciduous and depending on location and rainfall have either deep or shallow roots. Prosopis is considered long-lived because of the low mortality rate after the dicotyledonous stage and juveniles are also able to survive in conditions with low light and drought. The Cahuilla indigenous people of western North America were known to eat the seeds of mesquite.

<i>Prosopis</i> Genus of legumes

Prosopis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. It contains around 45 species of spiny trees and shrubs 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 fruits are pods and may contain large amounts of sugar. The generic name means "burdock" in late Latin and originated in the Greek language.

<i>Ungnadia</i> Genus of trees

Ungnadia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Sapindaceae, containing one species, Ungnadia speciosa, commonly known as the Mexican buckeye. It is native to northern Mexico, as well as Texas and southern New Mexico in the United States. The name honors Austrian ambassador Baron David Ungnad von Sonnegg, son of Andreas Ungnad von Sonnegg, who brought the horse chestnut to Vienna in 1576, introducing the plant into western Europe.

<i>Parkinsonia</i> Genus of legumes

Parkinsonia, also Cercidium, is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae. It contains about 12 species that are native to semi-desert regions of Africa and the Americas. The name of the genus honors English apothecary and botanist John Parkinson (1567–1650).

<i>Neltuma juliflora</i> Species of legume

Neltuma juliflora , formerly Prosopis juliflora, is a shrub or small tree in the family Fabaceae, a kind of mesquite. It is native to Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. It has become established as an invasive weed in Africa, Asia, Australia and elsewhere. It is a contributing factor to continuing transmission of malaria, especially during dry periods when sugar sources from native plants are largely unavailable to mosquitoes.

<i>Prosopis pubescens</i> Species of tree

Strombocarpa pubescens, commonly known as screwbean mesquite, 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.

<i>Parkinsonia microphylla</i> Species of tree

Parkinsonia microphylla, the yellow paloverde, foothill paloverde or little-leaved palo verde; syn. Cercidium microphyllum), is a species of palo verde.

<i>Prosopis pallida</i> Species of legume

Prosopis pallida is a species of mesquite tree. It has the common names kiawe, huarango and American carob, as well as "bayahonda", "algarrobo pálido", and "algarrobo blanco". It is a thorny legume, native to Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, particularly drier areas near the coast. While threatened in its native habitat, it is considered an invasive species in many other places.

<i>Cephalanthus occidentalis</i> Species of flowering plant

Cephalanthus occidentalis is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae that is native to eastern and southern North America. Common names include buttonbush, common buttonbush, button-willow, buck brush, and honey-bells.

<i>Colubrina</i> Genus of flowering plants

Colubrina is a genus of about 30 species of flowering plants in the family Rhamnaceae, native to warm temperate to tropical regions of Africa, the Americas, southern Asia, northern Australia, and the Indian Ocean islands.

<i>Prosopis velutina</i> Species of tree

Prosopis velutina, commonly known as velvet mesquite, is a small to medium-sized 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 Desert.

<i>Calliandra eriophylla</i> Species of legume

Calliandra eriophylla, commonly known as fairy duster, is a low spreading shrub which is native to deserts and arid grasslands in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico.

<i>Prosopis laevigata</i> Species of legume

Prosopis laevigata, commonly known as smooth mesquite, is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to Mexico, Bolivia, Peru, and north-western Argentina. In Mexico, the species is found in the nation's the central highlands, the lowlands of southern Tamaulipas, and in parts of Oaxaca, Morelos, Puebla, and Chiapas. It grows on a variety of sites on hillslides, in depressions, and along floodplains. It has been spotted growing in the Middle East as well.

<i>Prosopis tamarugo</i> Species of plant

Prosopis tamarugo, commonly known as the tamarugo, is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, subfamilia Mimosoideae. It is only found in northern Chile, particularly in the Pampa del Tamarugal, some 70 km (43 mi) east of the city of Iquique. This bushy tree apparently grows without the benefit of rainfall, and it is thought to obtain some water from dew. Studies indicate it is a Phreatophyte; having deep roots that tap into ground water supplies. It also participates in hydraulic redistribution moving water from deeper levels to the upper and also reversing the process in times of severe drought.

<i>Phoradendron californicum</i> Species of flowering plant

Phoradendron californicum, the desert mistletoe or mesquite mistletoe, is a hemiparasitic plant native to southern California, Nevada, Arizona, Sonora, Sinaloa and Baja California. It can be found in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts at elevations of up to 1400 m.

<i>Malvaviscus arboreus</i> Species of flowering plant

Malvaviscus arboreus is a species of flowering plant in the hibiscus family, Malvaceae, that is native to the American South, Mexico, Central America, and South America. The specific name, arboreus, refers to the tree-like appearance of a mature plant. It is now popular in cultivation and goes by many English names including wax mallow, Turk's cap (mallow), Turk's turban, sleeping hibiscus, manzanilla, manzanita, ladies teardrop and Scotchman's purse; many of these common names refer to other, in some cases unrelated, plants. Its flowers do not open fully and help attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

<i>Ziziphus obtusifolia</i> Species of tree

Ziziphus obtusifolia is a species of flowering plant in the buckthorn family known by several common names, including lotebush, graythorn, gumdrop tree, and Texas buckthorn.

<i>Chamaecrista glandulosa</i> Species of legume

Chamaecrista glandulosa is a species of flowering plant in the legume family native to the Americas. Its distribution extends from Mexico to Brazil and it occurs on many Caribbean islands.

<i>Prosopis farcta</i> Species of legume

Prosopis farcta, the Syrian mesquite, is a species of the genus Prosopis, growing in and around the Middle East.

References

  1. Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) & IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group (2020). "Prosopis glandulosa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T49485845A148999704. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T49485845A148999704.en . Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  2. "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Prosopis glandulosa". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 2010-01-01.
  4. NRCS. "Prosopis glandulosa". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Marsh Trail Guide, Big Morongo Canyon Preserve
  6. "Prosopis glandulosa Torr" (PDF). International Institute of Tropical Forestry. United States Forest Service. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  7. "Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 2010-01-01.
  8. "Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 2010-01-01.
  9. Pasiecznik, N. (2022). "Prosopis glandulosa (honey mesquite)". Cabi Compendium. CABI Compendium: 44439. doi:10.1079/cabicompendium.44439 . Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  10. "100 OF THE WORLD'S WORST INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES" (PDF). Portals.iucn.org. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
  11. "Prosopis glandulosa (tree)". Global Invasive Species Database. Invasive Species Specialist Group. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2008-05-01.
  12. 1 2 "Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin". Wildflower.org. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  13. Simpson, Benny J. (1988). A Field Guide to Texas Trees. Texas Monthly Press. pp. 244–245. ISBN   0-87719-113-1.
  14. Namibia: Invasive Species a Money-Spinner, Africa: Allafrica.com, 2012, retrieved 30 November 2012
  15. "BRIT - Native American Ethnobotany Database". Naeb.brit.org. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  16. "Cahuilla Plants". Enduringknowledgepublications.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
  17. "Temalpakh Ethnobotanical Garden". Malkimuseum.org. Archived from the original on 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2007-01-01.
  18. Felger, Richard; Mary B. Moser. (1985). People of the desert and sea: ethnobotany of the Seri Indians . Tucson: University of Arizona Press. ISBN   9780816508181.
  19. "Species: Prosopis glandulosa". Fire Effects Information System. United States Forest Service. Retrieved 2008-05-01.