''Prosopis chilensis'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of tree in the genus ''

Prosopis ''Prosopis'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. It contains around 45 species of spiny trees and shrubs found in subtropical and tropical regions of the Americas, Africa, Western Asia, and South Asia. They often thrive in ari ...

'', belonging to the family Fabaceae. It is found in parts of central

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

, southern

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

, Bolivia, and Andean (northwestern)

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

. Its common names include Chilean mesquite (''algarrobo chileno'', in Spanish), ''cupesí'' (in eastern Bolivia), and Chilean algarrobo. It is used for providing shade, for animal feed and for firewood.

Description

''Prosopis chilensis'' is a medium-sized deciduous tree reaching a height of about . The trunk is stout and gnarled, and can reach a metre (yard) in diameter. The bark is pale brown and thick, with cracks and vertical fissures. The leaves are pinnate and up to long, with twelve to twenty leaflets arranged in pairs. Each leaflet is oval with a smooth margin and yellowish green upper surface. A pair of strong, curved thorns is borne at the location of each whorl of leaves. The flowers are borne in dense axillary spikes. Each individual flower has five sepals, five petals and ten stamens. The fruits are twisted or coiled pods up to long, with several coffee-coloured seeds inside. ''P. chilensis'' flowers between October and December and the fruits ripen between February and April.

Distribution and habitat

''Prosopis chilensis'' is found in Peru, Bolivia, eastern Argentina and central Chile, and grows on light soils in arid regions. It is very drought resistant and it probably fixes nitrogen. It has been introduced into Hawaii, where it is now common growing in thickets behind beaches.

Uses

''Prosopis chilensis'' is used as a shade tree and for firewood. The leaves are used as fodder for livestock and the pods and seeds are of high nutritive value and are ground to make an animal feed.

Honey bee A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the current cosm ...

s, and several other species of bee, pollinate the flowers.

References

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q11700799 chilensis Trees of Argentina Trees of Chile Trees of Peru Chilean Matorral