Prosopis rojasiana

Species

Prosopis rojasiana Burkart

Family

Fabaceae

Subfamily

Mimosoideae

NOTE

NOTE: Only three seeds of Prosopis rojasiana were available for examination. Therefore, the description and images in this fact sheet may not be representative of this species’ seeds.

Common names

mesquite

Description

Pods linear, straight or curving slightly, compressed, 3.5–5 cm long, 6–8 mm wide. Short-stipitate, apex mucronate, margins nearly straight, faintly undulate. Reddish, smooth or wrinkled appearance, with longitudinally reticulate ridges; seed chambers 5–10. Endocarp segments subquadrate to rhombic, or broader than long, papery to boney, closed, 4–6 mm long, 5–7 mm wide, 2–3 mm thick; mesocarp thin, dry. Seeds oriented longitudinally.

Seeds obovate to rhombic in outline, 3.8–4.9 mm long, 2.2–3.5 mm wide, 1.3–2.7 mm thick, with a ridgelike umbo, asymmetrically elliptic to subrhombic in cross section. Pleurogram bordered with wrinkles. Lens a light-colored mound.

Distribution

Paraguay

Habitat

northern Chaco woods, clay soils

General information

Prosopis rojasiana is a spiny, nearly leafless, tall shrub or tree, 2–6 m tall. The pod breaks up into one-seeded segments.