Mesquite
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae Genus: Prosopis L.
Species
Many; see text. Mesquite tree Source: http://www. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... Divisions Green algae land plants (embryophytes) non-vascular embryophytes Hepatophyta - liverworts Anthocerophyta - hornworts Bryophyta - mosses vascular plants (tracheophytes) seedless vascular plants Lycopodiophyta - clubmosses Equisetophyta - horsetails Pteridophyta - true ferns Psilotophyta - whisk ferns Ophioglossophyta - adderstongue ferns seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta - seed ferns Pinophyta - conifers Cycadophyta - cycads Ginkgophyta - ginkgo Gnetophyta - gnetae Magnoliophyta... It has been suggested that Angiospermae, and Anthophyta be merged into this article or section. ... Magnoliopsida is the botanical name for a class: this name is formed by replacing the termination -aceae in the name Magnoliaceae by the termination -opsida (Art 16 of the ICBN). ... Families Fabaceae (legumes) Quillajaceae Polygalaceae (milkwort family) Surianaceae The Fabales are an order of flowering plants, included in the rosid group of dicotyledons. ... Subfamilies Faboideae Caesalpinioideae Mimosoideae References GRIN-CA 2002-09-01 The name Fabaceae belongs to either of two families, depending on viewpoint. ... Species See text. ... Alanblazeonfire 19:54, 27 March 2007 (UTC) Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 23, 1707[1] – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[2] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ...

Mesquite (from Nahuatl mizquitl) is a leguminous plant of the Prosopis genus found in Northern Mexico and the United States from the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas up to southwestern Kansas and from southeastern California and southwestern Utah to the southern limits of the Sonoran desert. Nahuatl is a native language of central Mexico. ... Species See text. ... The international border between Mexico and the United States runs a total of 3,141 km (1,951 miles) from San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Baja California, in the west to Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and Brownsville, Texas, in the east. ... Official language(s) English (de facto) See also languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (261,797 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) none Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Area  Ranked 15th  - Total 82,277 sq mi (213,096 km²)  - Width 211 miles (340 km)  - Length 417 miles (645 km)  - % water 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Official language(s) English Capital Salt Lake City Largest city Salt Lake City Area  Ranked 13th  - Total 84,876 sq mi (219,887 km²)  - Width 270 miles (435 km)  - Length 350 miles (565 km)  - % water 3. ... Sonoran Desert wildlife Mountains in the Sonoran Desert 3D photograph of Saguaro National Park at dusk. ...

Mesquite trees are also found in the Chihuahuan Desert of Mexico. Mediterranean mesquite is found in the steppes of Syria and northern Iraq. The species Prosopis pallida was introduced to Hawai‘i in 1828, and is now very common in the drier coastal parts of the islands called the Kiawe tree which is a prime source of monofloral honey production. The Chihuahuan Desert is a desert that straddles the U.S.-Mexico border. ... 1828 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Monofloral honey is a type of honey which has a high value in the marketplace because it has a distictive flavor or other attribute due to its being predominately from the nectar of one plant species. ...

Description

These deciduous trees generally reach a height of 6 to 9 meters (20 to 30 ft), although in most of their range they are shrub size. They have narrow, bipinnately compound leaves 50 to 75 mm (2 to 3 inches) long that are sharply pointed. Some common species of Mesquite are Honey Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), Velvet Mesquite (Prosopis velutina), Creeping Mesquite (Prosopis strombulifera) and Screwbean Mesquite (Prosopis pubescens). Deciduous means temporary or tending to fall off (deriving from the Latin word decidere, to fall off). ... hiii, This article is on plants. ... “Foliage” redirects here. ... Binomial name Prosopis glandulosa Honey Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) is a medium to small tree with rounded crown and crooked, drooping branches with feathery foliage and straight paired spines on twigs. ... Screwbean Mesquite (Prosopis pubescens), is a small tree or shrub found in the southwestern United States from Texas to California. ...

Mesquite is an extremely hardy, drought-tolerant plant because it can draw water from the water table through its long taproot (recorded at up to 190 ft in depth). However, it can also use water in the upper part of the ground, depending upon availability. The tree can easily and rapidly switch from utilizing one water source to the other. A drought is a period of time when there is not enough water to support agricultural, urban, human, or environmental water needs. ... Impact of a drop of water Water is a chemical substance that is essential to all known forms of life[1]. It covers 71% of Earths surface. ... Cross section showing the water table varying with surface topography as well as a perched water table The water table or phreatic surface is the surface where the water pressure is equal to atmospheric pressure. ... The dandelions taproot, quite apparent in this drawing, renders this plant very difficult to uproot – the plant itself gives way, but the root stays in the ground and may sprout again. ...

Many people, especially ranchers, consider the tree a nuisance because they believe it competes with rangeland grasses for moisture. In many parts of Texas, particularly West and Central Texas, the proliferation of mesquite is partly responsible for lowering of groundwater tables. (The water table in much of Texas was higher in times when large buffalo heards still roamed the country, since they kept Mesquite growth low; these areas were a grass steppe at the time, and only later grew to bush lands as they are now.^{[citation needed]}) However, salt cedar has had a greater effect on water consumption, in some cases even displacing existing mesquite. [1] Ranching is the raising of cattle or sheep on rangeland, although one might also speak of ranching with regard to less common livestock such as elk, bison or emu. ... Natural vegetaton dominated by grasses Grass is a common word that generally describes a monocotyledonous green plant in the family Poaceae. ... Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of geologic formations. ... Binomial name Bison bison (Linnaeus, 1758) Subspecies B. b. ... Species Tamarix africana Tamarix anglica Tamarix aphylla Tamarix canariensis Tamarix chinensis Tamarix dioica Tamarix gallica Tamarix hispida Tamarix indica Tamarix juniperina Tamarix parviflora Tamarix ramosissima Tamarix tetrandra The genus Tamarix, known as tamarisk or (US) saltcedar, comprises about 50-60 species of deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees growing...

Mesquite thorns

Eradicating mesquite is difficult because the plant's bud regeneration zone can extend down to 6 inches (150 mm) below ground level. The tree can regenerate from a piece of root left in the soil. Some herbicides are not effective or only partially effective against mesquite. Grubbing techniques for removal, while effective against short-term regrowth, are expensive, costing upwards of $70/acre ($17,000/km²). ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 390 KB) Spines on Prosopis pallida (mesquite tree), photographed in Hawai‘i by Eric Guinther. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 390 KB) Spines on Prosopis pallida (mesquite tree), photographed in Hawai‘i by Eric Guinther. ... Primary and secondary roots in a cotton plant In vascular plants, the root is that organ of a plant body that typically lies below the surface of the soil (compare with stem). ... For the American hard rock band, see Soil (band). ... A herbicide is a pesticide used to kill unwanted plants. ...

New growth of mesquite has needle-sharp thorns up to 75 mm (3 in) long. The spines are tough enough to penetrate the soft soles of sneakers or similar footwear, and can easily puncture tires. Raised thorns on the stem of the wait-a-bit climber Thorns on rose stems A spine is a rigid, pointed surface protuberance or needle-like structure on an animal, shell, or plant, presumably serving as a defense against attack by predators. ... Sneakers Sneakers are footwear of flexible material, typically featuring a sole made of rubber. ... A tire or tyre (see spelling differences and etymological origins) is a device covering the circumference of a wheel. ...

Benefits

Mesquite trees grow quickly and furnish shade and wildlife habitat where other trees will not grow. Being a legume, it fixes nitrogen in the soil where it grows, although this is rather newly discovered and is still a poorly understood part of its life cycle. Varieties of soybean seeds, a popular legume Pea pods The term legume has two closely related meanings in botany, a situation encountered with many botanical common names of useful plants, whereby an applied name can refer to either the plant itself, or to the edible fruit (or useful part). ... Nitrogen fixation is the process by which nitrogen is taken from its relatively inert molecular form (N2) in the atmosphere and converted into nitrogen compounds (such as, notably, ammonia, nitrate and nitrogen dioxide) [1] useful for other chemical processes. ...

Mesquite wood is hard, allowing it to be used for furniture and implements. Wood from the Prosopis juliflora and Prosopis glandulosa is used for decorative woodworking and woodturning. It is highly desirable due to its dimensional stability. The hard, dense lumber is also sold as Texas Ironwood. Trunks A tree trunk as found at the Veluwe, The Netherlands Wood is a solid material derived from woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs. ... Artists can use woodworking to create delicate sculptures. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...

As firewood, mesquite burns slowly. When used to barbecue, the smoke from the wood adds a distinct flavor to the food. In addition, the flowers provide a nectar source for bees to produce mesquite monofloral honey, which contains the same smoky flavors. It has been suggested that Grilling be merged into this article or section. ... -- see Discussion -- // Northern nectar sources for honeybees The nectar source in a given area depends on the type of vegetation present and the length of their bloom period. ... Monofloral honey is a type of honey which has a high value in the marketplace because it has a distictive flavor or other attribute due to its being predominately from the nectar of one plant species. ...

Mesquite leaves were once used medicinally; water infused with the leaves can be used as eye drops.

The bean pods of the mesquite can be dried and ground into flour, adding a sweet, nutty taste to breads, or used to make jelly or wine. Look up flour in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... Look up jelly in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A glass of red wine This article is about the alcoholic beverage. ...

Species

• Prosopis glandulosa
• Prosopis juliflora: Plants of Prosopis juliflora were introduced to Kenya in the 1980s in an attempt to reduce desertification. The plants have survived surprisingly well, to the point of becoming a pest. Although successful in the task of preventing desertification, the plants' poisonous thorns have been accused of harming "both people and livestock", and of reducing the goats’ ability to graze, as they lose their teeth from decay caused by the seeds of the fruits lodging in their gums. Source: BBC Online news report - Killer weed hits Kenyan herders.
• Prosopis pallida
• Prosopis pubescens
• Prosopis strombulifera
• Prosopis velutina

Ship stranded by the retreat of the Aral Sea Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors including climatic variations, but primarily human activities. ... Look up Pest in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Pest may refer to: A pest, an animal (usually an insect), or sometimes a plant (weed) with characteristics that are injurious or harmful to humans. ... For other uses of the term, see goat (disambiguation). ... The visible teeth of a smile. ... The gingiva (sing. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ...

External links

• Honey mesquite, Screwbean mesquite, and Western mesquite at Texas A&M's Plant Answers
• Honey mesquite at the Texas Tree Planting Guide
• AgNews article on wood to ethanol using mesquite