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Mesquite is a common name for some plants in the genera ''
Neltuma ''Neltuma'' is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family (Fabaceae). It includes 43 species native to the Americas, which were previously placed in genus ''Prosopis''. The species range from the southwestern and central United States through ...
'' and '' Strombocarpa'', which contain over 50 species of spiny, deep-rooted leguminous shrubs and small trees. They are native to dry areas in the
Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...
. Until 2022, these genera were traditionally included in a broad view of the genus '' Prosopis'', but that genus is now restricted to a few species native to the
Old World The "Old World" () is a term for Afro-Eurasia coined by Europeans after 1493, when they became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia in the Eastern Hemisphere, previously ...
. Mesquites have extremely long roots to seek water from very far under ground. As they are legumes, 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". Mesquites 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. Mesquites are considered long-lived because of the low mortality rate after the
dicotyledon The dicotyledons, also known as dicots (or, more rarely, dicotyls), are one of the two groups into which all the flowering plants (angiosperms) were formerly divided. The name refers to one of the typical characteristics of the group: namely, ...
ous 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 Americans in the United States, Native American people of the various tribes of the Cahuilla Nation, living in the inland areas of southern California. ...
indigenous people of western North America were known to eat the seeds of mesquite.


History

Mesquites have been in North America since the
Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 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 mesquites were able to survive. One theory is that the loss of the megafauna allowed mesquites 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 mesquites 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
Mexican Spanish Mexican Spanish () is the variety of dialects and sociolects of the Spanish language spoken in Mexico and its bordering regions. Mexico has the largest number of Spanish speakers, more than double any other country in the world. Spanish is spo ...
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 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 species 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 Mill (grinding), grinding raw grains, List of root vegetables, roots, beans, Nut (fruit), nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredie ...
and made into
bread Bread is a baked food product made from water, flour, and often yeast. It is a staple food across the world, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cu ...
. Mesquite wood 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 Western, South Central American 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

Some mesquites are different from most invasive species because they are highly aggressive in both their native and introduced ranges. Their impacts on the invaded ecosystems include changes to hydrological, energy, and
nutrient cycling A nutrient cycle (or ecological recycling) is the movement and exchange of inorganic and organic matter back into the production of matter. Energy flow is a unidirectional and noncyclic pathway, whereas the movement of mineral nutrients is cyc ...
, as well as consequences to biodiversity and primary production. Mesquite density and canopy cover influence the herbaceous layer and native shrubs and are factors in the changes to the ecosystem.


In its native range

In the United States, mesquites have become the dominant woody plant on of semiarid grasslands. Although North America is in their native range, due to an imbalance within this ecosystem it has been able to spread rapidly. It is considered the most common and widely spread "pest" plant in
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
. 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 ('' Neltuma glandulosa'') and velvet mesquite ('' Neltuma velutina'').


As an introduced species

Honey and other mesquites have been introduced to parts of
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
,
Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
, and
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. Honey mesquite is considered by the World Conservation Union as one of the world's most problematic
invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...
. 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 ...
, and the reduction of fire frequency. The similar, related '' Prosopis'' species occur naturally in these areas, but these changes have resulted in these non-native relatives being able to successfully outcompete the native species, and they are now considered invasive species because they are able to take advantage of vulnerable ecosystems. In Australia ''Neltuma'' spp. ('' N. pallida'', ''N. glandulosa'', ''N. velutina'', and their hybrids with '' N. juliflora'') are ranked nationally as one of the 20 most significant weeds. They now cover almost of land. ''Neltuma'' species were originally introduced to help with erosion because of their deep root systems. Additionally '' N. laevigata'' was previously invasive in Australia, but has since been eradicated. The last known specimens of '' N. laevigata'' were eliminated in 2006, but given the possibility of lingering seeds in the soil seed bank, Biosecurity Queensland waited 15 years and declared Australia free of ''N. laevigata'' in 2021. In
India India, officially the Republic of India, 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 by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, mesquites had been introduced decades ago, but until recently, their effects had not been studied. This genus has been pushing out the Indian wild ass (''Equus hemionus khur''). This herbivorous mammal eats the pods of mesquites, 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 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 mesquites, 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

* '' Neltuma alba'' (white mesquite) * '' Neltuma chilensis'' (Chilean mesquite) * '' Neltuma glandulosa'' (honey mesquite) * '' Neltuma humilis'' * '' Neltuma juliflora'' * '' Neltuma laevigata'' (smooth mesquite) * '' Neltuma nigra'' (black mesquite) * '' Neltuma pallida'' * '' Neltuma velutina'' (velvet mesquite) * '' Strombocarpa pubescens'' (screwbean mesquite, tornillo) * '' Strombocarpa strombulifera'' (creeping mesquite) The name 'mesquite' has also been misapplied in recent history to these Old World species, due to their previously considered congeneric affinity: * '' Anonychium africanum'' (African "mesquite") * ''
Prosopis cineraria ''Prosopis cineraria'', also known as Persian mesquite or ghaf or khejri, is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. It is native to arid portions of Western Asia and the Indian Subcontinent, including Afghanistan, Bahrain, ...
'' (Persian "mesquite") * '' Prosopis farcta'' (Syrian "mesquite")


Gallery

File:Prosopis pubescens beans.jpg, Screwbean mesquite pods File:Prosopis pubescens inflorescence 2003-06-02.jpg, Screwbean mesquite 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


See also

* Mesquite Bosque * Tamaulipan mezquital


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 , 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 Mimosoids Drought-tolerant trees Edible legumes Garden plants of North America North American desert flora Ornamental trees Plant common names