Velvet Mesquite
Prosopis velutina
Photographed along Mesquite Wash, Maricopa Co., Arizona. April 2008.
Many, many insects and other animals rely on the mesquites that grow along riparian zones and in bosques. The flowers are an important source of nectar and pollen for native pollinators such as solitary bees. And the foliage, especially when freshly grown in spring or after summer rains supports countless caterpillars. All these insects and the spiders that prey upon them in turn are food for birds such as verdin, bell's vireo and lucy's warbler.
Some critters commonly found on mesquite are from upper left, Marine Blue Butterfly, Casebearer Beetle, Mesquite Thorn Hopper, Elegant Katydid, and Giant Mesquite Bug. Click on any image for more detail and discussion.
TREE: Usually a single-trunked tree, but sometimes grows as a large
shrub particularily when cut or fire damaged. Bark of older branches and trunk
is dark gray, with fissures.
LEAVES: Twice-compound leaves with usu. two or four sub-rachises each
with numerous small leaflets. Young leaves set with fine pubescence. Leaves, as
in many legumes, fold up at night.
RANGE: Frequent throughout the Sonoran Desert in Arizona and Mexico
along washes and near riparian habitats. Broad terraces adjacent to riparian
streams may support woodlands predominated by mesquite. These are termed bosque
- Spanish for woods. Ranges into deserts of California to Texas.
FRUIT: Elongate beans slightly constricted between each bean-seed. Very
sweet to taste when ripe - i.e. reddish-yellow in color. Later changing to
yellow-brown.
FLOWERS: Spikes of numerous, small yellow-cream flowers. The petals are
nearly rudimentary - instead flower color is the result of long, colored
stamens.
ARMED. Generally has sturdy, straight thorns, two per node. There is
considerable variation in the length of thorns. Even within the same plant some
branches, particularily those in direct, hot sunshine, have much longer,
sharper thorns.
Fabaceae -- Bean Family
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