View source for Prosopis

{{Treatment/ID
|accepted_name=Prosopis
|accepted_authority=Linnaeus
|publications={{Treatment/Publication
|title=Syst. Nat. ed.
|place=12, 2: 282, 293. 1767
|year=1767
}}
|common_names=Mesquite
|basionyms=
|synonyms=
|hierarchy=Fabaceae;Fabaceae subfam. Caesalpinioideaemimosoidclade;Prosopis
|hierarchy_nav=<div class="higher-taxa"><div class="higher-taxon"><small>family</small>[[Fabaceae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>subfamily</small>[[Fabaceae subfam. Caesalpinioideaemimosoidclade]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>genus</small>[[Prosopis]]</div></div>
|etymology=Derivation uncertain; perhaps Greek prosopon, mask, alluding to similarity with Tamarindus masking identity of Prosopis
|volume=Volume 11
|mention_page=
|treatment_page=
}}<!--

--><span class="statement" id="st-undefined" data-properties=""><b>Trees </b>or shrubs, usually armed, rarely unarmed; taprooted, forming underground spreading horizontal runners. <b>Branches</b> ascending or spreading. <b>Stems</b> glabrous or pubescent. <b>Leaves</b> alternate, even-bipinnate; stipules present, inconspicuous and early deciduous or modified spines; petiolate, petiole with sessile, circular glands; pinnae 1 or 2(or 3)[–7] pair(s), opposite, apex with scalelike mucro or spine; leaflets 6–60, alternate or opposite, overlapping or not, blade margins entire, surfaces sometimes glaucous, glabrous or pubescent. <b>Inflorescences</b> 40–100+-flowered, axillary, spikes or heads [racemes]; bracts absent. <b>Flowers</b> mimosoid; calyx campanulate, lobes 5, connate proximally, sometimes striate; corolla yellow, cream-yellow, purple-brown, greenish white, or yellow-green, [reddish], petals connate or distinct, linear; stamens 10 (5 + 5), distinct; anthers dorsifixed, introrse, elliptic, apex pedicellate with a deciduous, capitate gland. <b>Fruits</b> loments, stipitate or sessile, straight or spirally coiled, torulose, linear or cylindric, thickened, indehiscent, pubescent, glabrescent, or glabrous. <b>Seeds</b> (4 or)5–25+, gray-green, tan, yellow-tan, yellow-brown, or brown, ovoid, reniform-ovoid, ellipsoid, or oblong. <b>x</b> = 14.</span><!--

-->{{Treatment/Body
|distribution=sw;sc United States;Mexico;South America (Argentina;Bolivia;Chile;Peru);sw Asia;Africa;deserts;dry subtropical regions;introduced in Australia.
|discussion=<p>Species ca. 48 (6 in the flora).</p><!--
--><p>Prosopis was treated by G. Bentham (1842, 1846, 1875) as polymorphic and divided into several sections based on fruit types and derivation of the spines. G. Engelmann and A. Gray (1845), as well as N. L. Britton and J. N. Rose (1928), divided the North American species into two and three genera respectively. A. Burkart (1976) adopted the position of Bentham, and most North American authors have continued to follow his treatment.</p><!--
--><p>In arid countries, species of Prosopis are valued for shade, fuel, food, and forage. Due to their hardiness and abundance, they are often an important component of the vegetation in these regions. Some species are invasive and are a problem for ranchers and farmers. At least 27 species are listed as potentially noxious weeds in the United States.</p>
|tables=
|references=
}}<!--

--><div class="treatment-key">
==Key==
<div class="treatment-key-group">
  
{| class="wikitable fna-keytable"
|-id=key-0-1
|1
|Inflorescences globose heads; loments coiled.
|[[#key-0-2| > 2]]
|-id=key-0-2
|2
|Spines 4–9 cm; leaflets touching or overlapping.
|[[Prosopis reptans|Prosopis reptans]]
|-id=key-0-2
|2
|Spines 0.1–2 cm; leaflets 3.5–5 mm apart.
|[[Prosopis strombulifera|Prosopis strombulifera]]
|-id=key-0-1
|1
|Inflorescences amentlike spikes; loments straight or coiled.
|[[#key-0-3| > 3]]
|-id=key-0-3
|3
|Loments coiled; leaflets 10–18.
|[[Prosopis pubescens|Prosopis pubescens]]
|-id=key-0-3
|3
|Loments straight or curved; leaflets 12–60.
|[[#key-0-4| > 4]]
|-id=key-0-4
|4
|Leaflets alternate.
|[[Prosopis laevigata|Prosopis laevigata]]
|-id=key-0-4
|4
|Leaflets opposite.
|[[#key-0-5| > 5]]
|-id=key-0-5
|5
|Leaflets 5–18 mm apart, blades (15–)20–63 mm, surfaces glabrous.
|[[Prosopis glandulosa|Prosopis glandulosa]]
|-id=key-0-5
|5
|Leaflets 3–4 mm apart, blades 4–13 mm, surfaces pubescent.
|[[Prosopis velutina|Prosopis velutina]]
|}
</div></div><!--

-->{{#Taxon:
name=Prosopis
|author=Debra K. Trock
|authority=Linnaeus
|rank=genus
|parent rank=subfamily
|synonyms=
|basionyms=
|family=Fabaceae
|distribution=sw;sc United States;Mexico;South America (Argentina;Bolivia;Chile;Peru);sw Asia;Africa;deserts;dry subtropical regions;introduced in Australia.
|reference=None
|publication title=Syst. Nat. ed.
|publication year=1767
|special status=
|source xml=https://bitbucket.org/aafc-mbb/fna-data-curation/src/master/coarse_grained_fna_xml/V11/V11_135.xml
|subfamily=Fabaceae subfam. Caesalpinioideaemimosoidclade
|genus=Prosopis
}}<!--

-->[[Category:Treatment]][[Category:Fabaceae subfam. Caesalpinioideaemimosoidclade]]