Mezquites en Jesús María, Aguascalientes 08

Mesquite is a common name for several plants in the genus '' Prosopis'', which contains over 40 species of small leguminous trees. They are native to dry areas in the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America, North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. ...

. 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. These trees bloom from spring to summer. They often produce fruits known as "pods". ''Prosopis'' spp. are able to grow up to 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 The Cahuilla , also known as ʔívil̃uqaletem or Ivilyuqaletem, are a Native American people of the various tribes of the Cahuilla Nation, living in the inland areas of southern California.

History

''Prosopis'' spp. have been in North America since the

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58 They are thought to have evolved with megafauna in the New World. The loss of North American megafauna at the end of the Pleistocene era gave way to one theory of how the ''Prosopis'' spp. were able to survive. One theory is that the loss of the megafauna allowed ''Prosopis'' spp. to use their fruit pods to attract other organisms to spread their seeds; then, with the introduction of livestock, they were able to spread into grasslands. Another is that ''Prosopis'' spp. had always been present in grasslands, but recurring fires had delayed plant and seed development before the emergence of livestock and grazing.

Etymology

The English word mesquite is borrowed from the Spanish word ''mezquite'', which in turn was borrowed from the Nāhuatl term ''mizquitl''.

Habitat

Mesquites grow as a small shrub in shallow soil or as tall as in deep soil with adequate moisture, and forms a rounded canopy nearly as wide. They may have one or multiple trunks with a multitude of branches. They have

bipinnate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular ...

leaflets of a light green to blue hue that cast a light to deep shade, depending on the species. Spikes of flowers form in spring and summer that form a flat pod of beans long. Many varieties form thorns. When cut to the ground, the tree can often recover.

Uses

Once the pod is dry, the whole pod is edible and can be ground into

flour Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cul ...

and made into

bread Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...

. Mesquite is native to the US and can be used as a type of lumber. It was a popular type of wood used by early Spaniards to build ships, but is now used most commonly for high-end rustic furniture and cabinets. Scraps and small pieces are used commonly as wood for cooking with smoke in Southern states. Red-orange sap can be found on the branches of mesquite trees during the summer. This sap was used by those who lived in the desert for several medicinal treatments. The sap was used as a salve and spread on burns and cuts to speed up the healing process. Gargling a mixture of water and sap was used to soothe sore throats, and the same mixture was said to be able to cure upset stomachs.

As an introduced and invasive species

''Prosopis'' spp. are different from most invasive species because they are highly invasive in both their native and introduced ranges. Their impacts on the invaded ecosystems include changes to hydrological, energy, and nutrient cycling, as well as consequences to biodiversity and primary production. ''Prosopis'' spp. density and canopy cover influence the herbaceous layer and native shrubs and are factors in the changes to the ecosystem. In the United States, ''Prosopis'' has become the dominant woody plant on of semiarid grasslands. Although North America is its native range, due to an imbalance within this ecosystem has been able to spread rapidly. It is considered the most common and widely spread "pest" plant in

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

. An estimated 25% of Texas’ grasslands are infested and are so invaded that it is suppressing the majority of grass production. In Mexico and the US, the two most problematic species are honey mesquite ('' Prosopis glandulosa'') and velvet mesquite ('' Prosopis velutina).'' Australia is also affected by the introduction of ''Prosopis'' spp., in particular, the '' P. pallida'', ''P. glandulosa'', ''P. velutina,'' and their hybrids with '' P. juliflora''. ''Prosopis'' spp. are ranked nationally as one of the 20 most significant weeds. They now cover almost of land. ''Prosopis'' spp. were originally introduced to help with erosion because of their deep root systems. Honey mesquite has been introduced to parts of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

, and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

and is considered by the

World Conservation Union The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natur ...

as one of the world's most problematic

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species adv ...

. Its spread into grasslands is mostly attributed to the introduction of domestic livestock, although other factors include climate change,

overgrazing Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature res ...

, and the reduction of fire frequency. Although ''Prosopis'' spp. are naturally occurring in these areas, these changes have resulted in their being able to successfully outcompete other native plants and they are now considered invasive species because they are able to take advantage of vulnerable ecosystems. Since Australia is a hot and semiarid region, ''Prosopis'' spp. have been able to become naturalized. The last known specimens of '' P. laevigata'' were eradicated in 2006, but given the possibility of lingering seeds in the

soil seed bank The soil seed bank is the natural storage of seeds, often dormant, within the soil of most ecosystems. The study of soil seed banks started in 1859 when Charles Darwin observed the emergence of seedlings using soil samples from the bottom of a ...

, Biosecurity Queensland waited 15 years and declared Australia free of ''P. laevigata'' in 2021. In

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

, mesquite had been introduced decades ago, but until recently, its effects had not been studied. This genus has been pushing out the

Indian wild ass The Indian wild ass (''Equus hemionus khur''), also called the Indian onager or, in the local Gujarati language, Ghudkhur and Khur, is a subspecies of the onager native to South Asia. It is currently listed as Near Threatened by IUCN. The prev ...

(''Equus hemionus khur).'' This herbivorous mammal eats the pods of ''Prosopis'' spp, which was one of the intended purposes of its introduction. Through digesting and excreting the seeds, the Indian wild asses are providing the habitat needed for germination. The

Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary also known as the Wild Ass Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Little Rann of Kutch in the Gujarat state of India. It is spread over an area of 4954 km². The wildlife sanctuary was established in 1972 and came u ...

is experiencing mesquite invasion of roughly a year. By overtaking the land, the dense canopy cover of mesquite has made it so native vegetation cannot grow. It has also made watering holes inaccessible to the animals within this region. This lack of resources and range is forcing the endangered Indian wild ass into human landscapes and agriculture fields and locals are killing these asses to protect their crops.

Control strategies

Controlling mesquite is a challenging task. One often-used method is mechanical control. This can be effective with high mortality rates if stems are cut at least underground. Another method is through the application of herbicides, done on an individual plant basis. Basal application is effective to mesquite of all sizes, while foliar application is best for plants smaller than . Another physical option for control is through fires. Some species of mesquite are fire-sensitive, while others are fire-tolerant. For those that are fire-sensitive, this method can be highly effective, but those that are fire-tolerant require hot and intense fires to be effective. In Australia, scientists are trying biological control methods. They have introduced multiple insects, but the most effective in causing high population level impact is the leaf-tying moth ( ''Evippe'' spp.). The most recommended method for managing ''Prosopis'', both in native and introduced ranges, is by targeting large numbers of plants either through herbicide or physical removal. Also, research is being done on using satellite and aerial images to assess canopy cover and determine which ranges should be targeted.

Species

* ''

Prosopis alba ''Prosopis alba'' is a South American tree species that grows in central Argentina, the Gran Chaco ecoregion, and part of the Argentine Mesopotamia, as well as Bolivia, Paraguay, and Peru. It is known as ''algarrobo blanco'' ('white carob tree ...

'' (white mesquite) * '' Prosopis cineraria'' * '' Prosopis chilensis'' (Chilean mesquite) * '' Prosopis glandulosa'' (honey mesquite) * '' Prosopis humilis'' * '' Prosopis juliflora'' * ''

Prosopis laevigata ''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 (Jujuy Province). In Mexico, the species is found in th ...

'' (smooth mesquite) * '' Prosopis nigra'' (black mesquite) * ''

Prosopis pallida ''Prosopis pallida'' is a species of mesquite tree. It has the common names kiawe () (in Hawaii), huarango (in its native South America) and American carob, as well as "bayahonda" (a generic term for ''Prosopis''), "algarrobo pálido" (in some p ...

'' * '' Prosopis pubescens'' (screwbean mesquite) * '' Prosopis reptans'' (tornillo) * '' Prosopis strombulifera'' (creeping mesquite) * '' Prosopis velutina'' (velvet mesquite)

Gallery

File:Prosopis pubescens beans.jpg, Screwbean pods File:Prosopis pubescens inflorescence 2003-06-02.jpg, Screwbean flowers File:Prosopis-glandulosa-seed-pods.jpg, Honey mesquite, foliage with seedpods File:Prosopis velutina seeds.jpg, Velvet mesquite dried seeds File:Velvet mesquite.jpg, Velvet mesquite tree File:Prosopis-glandulosa-foliage.JPG, Honey mesquite foliage

References

External links

USDA NRCS Plants Database

an

at Texas A&M's Plant Answers
Honey mesquite
at the Texas Tree Planting Guide

article on wood to ethanol using mesquite
Health Benefits of Mesquite
* * {{cite web , title=Mesquite , website=

Business Queensland Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or buying and selling products (such as goods and services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for profit." Having a business name does not separat ...

, date=2015-10-31 , url=http://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/farms-fishing-forestry/agriculture/land-management/health-pests-weeds-diseases/weeds-diseases/invasive-plants/restricted/mesquite , access-date=2021-07-28 Drought-tolerant trees Edible legumes Garden plants of North America North American desert flora Ornamental trees Plant common names