Prosopis alba
Fabaceae FAMILY

Prosopis alba

Prosopis alba

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Prosopis alba is a thorny, semideciduous tree with a rounded crown; it can grow 5 - 15 metres tall[ 418 Title Ecocrop Publication Author Website http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available. ]. The bole is short with many branches, but can be up to 100cm in diameter[ 418 Title Ecocrop Publication Author Website http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available. , 491 Title Journal of the Arnold Arboretum Vol. 57 Publication Author Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Harvard University Year 1976 ISBN Description A botanical magazine, this issue has a comprehensive treatment of the genus Prosopis as well as several other articles. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ]. Trees with straight boles 2.5 - 3 metres long can occur, but these are becoming extremely rare because they are being cut in preference to other trees with shorter boles[ 491 Title Journal of the Arnold Arboretum Vol. 57 Publication Author Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Harvard University Year 1976 ISBN Description A botanical magazine, this issue has a comprehensive treatment of the genus Prosopis as well as several other articles. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ]. The plant is a valuable resource for arid areas, providing food, medicines and fuel. It is cultivated in parts of Argentina; is used in soil reclamation and conservation projects; and is also sometimes grown as an ornamental[ 418 Title Ecocrop Publication Author Website http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available. , 491 Title Journal of the Arnold Arboretum Vol. 57 Publication Author Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Harvard University Year 1976 ISBN Description A botanical magazine, this issue has a comprehensive treatment of the genus Prosopis as well as several other articles. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ]. In recent years this timber species has been heavily exploited, notably in Argentina. The population structure is reported to be fundamentally changed. The plant is classified as 'Near Threatened' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate; tropical
Native RangeS. America - northern Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia and Peru.
HabitatArid and semi-arid regions with groundwater, such as drainage channels and along groundwater sinks. A common ruderal weed, coming up singly and in groups along roadsides, around habitations, on refuse dumps and in other disturbed habitats[ 418 Title Ecocrop Publication Author Website http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available. ].