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Prosopis africana

(African Mesquite)

Common Names

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Common Names in English:

African Mesquite

Common Names in Portuguese:

Pau-Carvão

Description

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Family Fabaceae

The Fabaceae are herbs, vines , shrubs , trees , and lianas found in both temperate and tropical areas. They comprise one of the largest families of flowering plants , numbering 630 genera and 18,000 species. The leaves are stipulate , nearly always alternate, and range from bipinnately or palmately compound to simple . The petiole base is commonly enlarged into a pulvinus that commonly functions in orientation of the leaves (sometimes very responsively, as in the sensitive plant, Mimosa pudica). The flowers are usually bisexual , actinomorphic to zygomorphic, slightly to strongly perigynous, and commonly in racemes , spikes, or heads . The perianth commonly consists of a calyx and corolla of 5 segments each. The androecium consists of commonly 1- many stamens (most commonly 10), distinct or variously united , sometimes some of them reduced to staminodes. The pistil is simple, often stipitate , comprising a single style and stigma, and a superior ovary with one locule containing 2-many marginal ovules. The fruit is usually a legume, sometimes a samara, loment, follicle, indehiscent pod, achene, drupe, or berry. The seeds often have a hard coat with hourglass-shaped cells , and sometimes bear a u-shaped line called a pleurogram. [Carr]

Subfamily Mimosoideae

Mostly trees or shrubs . Leaves mostly bipinnate. Corolla usually not showy, actinomorphic , sympetalous , the lobes valvate . Stamens 10-numerous, often monadelphous , showy. Pollen released in monads , tetrads , or polyads . Seeds with u-shaped line (pleurogram) present. [Carr]

Physical Description

Habit: Tree • Climbing: Not Climbing

Biology

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Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Taxonomy

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Unambiguous Synonyms

  1. Prosopis africana (Guill. et al.) Taub.
  2. Prosopis africana (Guillemin & Perrottet) Taubert
  3. Prosopis africana (Guillemin, Perrottet, & A. Rich.) Taubert

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: –

Place of publication : H. G. A. Engler & K . A. E. Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 3(3):119. 1892

Name verified on 17-Oct-1989 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 26-Jun-2000

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Prosopis

There are approximately 117 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

P. abbreviata (Algarrobillo Espinoso) · P. aculeata · P. adstringens · P. affinis (Algarrobillo) · P. africana (African Mesquite) · P. alba (Algarrobo Blanco) · P. alba f. fruticosa · P. alba var. alba · P. alba var. panta · P. alpataco (Mesquite) · P. alpataco f. rubra · P. alpataco var. lamaro · P. argentina (Algarobilla) · P. articulata (Mesquit) · P. astringens · P. benthamii · P. bonplandia · P. bonplandiana · P. burkartii (Mesquite) · P. calden · P. caldenia (Calden) · P. calingastana (Cusqui) · P. campertris · P. campertris var. elata · P. campestris (Mesquite) · P. castellanosii (Mesquite) · P. chilensis (Algarrobo) · P. chilensis var. catamarcana · P. chilensis var. chilensis · P. chilensis var. riojana · P. cineraria (Jand) · P. cinerascens var. cinerascens · P. denudans (Mesquite) · P. denudans var. denudans · P. denudans var. patagonica · P. denudans var. stenocarpa · P. elata (Mesquite) · P. elegans · P. elephantina · P. elephantorrhiza · P. emoryi · P. esquirolii · P. faeculifera · P. farcta (Syrian Mesquite) · P. farcta var. glabra · P. ferox (Mesquite) · P. fiebrigii (Mesquite) · P. fischeri · P. flexuosa (Algarrobo) · P. flexuosa f. subinermis · P. flexuosa var. depressa · P. flexuosa var. fruticosa · P. flexuosa var. subinermis · P. gillesii · P. glandulosa (Algaroba) · P. glandulosa subsp. torreyana · P. glandulosa torreyana · P. glandulosa var. glandulosa · P. glandulosa var. prostrata (Honey Mesquite) · P. glandulosa var. torreyana (Western Honey Mesquite) · P. hassleri (Algarrobo) · P. hassleri var. hassleri · P. hassleri var. nigroides · P. herzogii · P. heterophylla · P. humilis (Algarobilla) · P. juliflora (Honey Mesquite Prosopis Juliflora) · P. juliflora f. arborea · P. juliflora f. fruticosa · P. juliflora var. horrida · P. juliflora var. inermis · P. juliflora var. juliflora (Algarrobe) · P. kirkii · P. koelziana · P. koelziana var. puberula · P. kona · P. kuntzei (Barba De Tigre) · P. laevigata (Algarrobo) · P. laevigata var. andicola · P. laevigata var. laevigata · P. lanceolata · P. linearfolia · P. migra · P. nigra (Algarroba Chico) · P. nigra var. longispina · P. nigra var. nigra · P. nigra var. ragonesei · P. nuda · P. oallida · P. oblonga · P. odorata · P. odorata var. torreyana · P. pallida (Algaroba) · P. palmeri (Mesquite) · P. pubescens (Screw Bean) · P. pugionata · P. reptans (Creeping Mesquite) · P. reptans cinerascens · P. reptans subsp. cinerascens · P. reptans var. cinerascens (Tornillo)

Bibliography

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More Info

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 28, 2008:

Identifiers

Last Revised: 2008-11-03