NATIVE WOODY PLANTS OF THE UNITED STATES 



Prosopis spp. Mesquites. 



Stomach records (in addition to specific records) : Scaled quail, antelope jack 

 rabbit, gray-sided jack rabbit; Texas jack rabbit, Arizona cottontail, Holzner 

 cottontail. Observations (in addition to specific records) : Gambel quail, Mexi- 

 can turkey, white-winged dove. 



Prosopis articulata, see Prosopis chilensis. 



Prosopis chilensis (Mol.) Stuntz. Mesquite. 



P. juliflora (Swartz) DC., P. velutina Woot., P. juliflora, velutma (Woot.) 

 Sarg., P. odorata Torr., P. articulata, Wats., P. glandulosa Torr., P. juli- 

 flora glandulosa (Torr.) Cockerell, Neltiima juliftora (Swartz) Raf., 

 N. glandulosa (Torr.) Britt. and Rose, N. velutina (Woot.) Brifct. and 

 Rose. 



Range : 9, 11, 16, 17, 19, 20, 25, 29, 30. 



Site : Dry, well-drained, moist, sun. 



Fruit : Legume ; available September-October, rarely July. 



A large, spiny shrub to a small or rarely large tree ; adapted to a wide range 

 of soil conditions ; seedling with a taproot but mature plant with a generalized 

 root system ; roots penetrate as much as 60 feet below the surface and 30 feet 

 is common ; little damaged by insects or disease ; much used locally for fuel ; 

 thicket forming ; shrubby in dry areas, larger and treelike in moist places ; 

 wood very hard and durable, often used for fence posts; underground stems 

 enormous, locally an important source of fuel ; commonly attacked by mistletoe ; 

 aggressive, apparently taking possession of grasslands, particularly when they 

 are overgrazed ; nearly impossible to kill by overgrazing ; usually widespreading 

 and lower when heavily grazed. 



Standley (539) points out that in Mexico so many intergrading forms occur 

 that separation of P. chilensis into three or more species is impossible. He 

 notes that specimens from Peru and Argentina, if labeled from the United 

 States, would be determined by a botanist as P. juliflora. (In an appendix he 

 changes this name to P. chilensis). The variability of the species permits of 

 many different forms, but from studies made by Standley of specimens from 

 many localities, it would seem most useful to consider all forms as one species. 



Stomach records: Five species of birds including scaled quail and Gambel 

 quail ; Mearn's coyote, northern hooded skunk ; composed 36 percent of food 

 of antelope jack rabbit, and 56 percent of food of Arizona jack rabbit through- 

 out the year in Arizona. 



Forage value for stock high ; occasionally poisonous to stock if eaten to the 

 exclusion of other forage; seeds pass out of the digestive tract of livestock 

 unharmed, and in this condition are often eaten by birds, especially Gambel 

 quail. An exceptionally good honey plant. Observations: Scaled quail; west- 

 ern white-winged dove; captive porcupine (pods only) ; Texas antelope squirrel; 

 gray-tailed antelope squirrel ; Harris ground squirrel ; gray-spotted ground 

 squirrel ; Rio Grande ground squirrel ; Mexican raccoon ; coyote ; Texas white- 

 tailed deer ; mule deer ; rock squirrel. Far surpasses any other species in both 

 frequency of occurrence and quantity taken in the food of Gambel quail ; the 

 buds and flowers are taken in spring, and in fall and winter seeds are eaten ; 

 these quail often use the rachides of the leaves in nest-building. 



A host for the mistletoe (Phoradendron calif ornicum) which produces an 

 abundant and almost continuous crop of berries. Phainopeplas, mockingbirds, 

 sage thrashers, robins, and bluebirds depend almost wholly on these berries 

 for food ; they are also eaten by Gambel quail. The Abert towhee, Crissal 

 thrasher, phainopepla, and Lucy warbler commonly breed in the mesquite 

 association. 



Prosopis cinerascens Gray. Screwbean. 



Strombocarpa cinerascens Gray. 

 Range: 11, 17. 

 Site : Dry, sun. 

 Fruit: Legume. 

 A small, spiny shrub. 



Prosopis glandulosa, see Prosopis chilensis. 

 Prosopis juliflora, see Prosopis chilensis. 

 Prosopis odorata, see Prosopis chilensis. 



