Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) Dc.

Small shrub to moderate tree, the branchlets terete, glabrous, flexuous, obscurely lenticellate, usually armed at the "nodes" with prominent paired spines up to a few cm. long. Leaves arising from very condensed short-shoots, moderate or moderately large, bipinnate, the pinnae mostly 1-2 pairs, opposite, the leaflets few to many pairs per pinna; petiole prominent, most frequently 2-5 cm. long, terete but flattened above, normally bearing a small, sessile, subconic gland apically above; rachis shorter than the petiole or obsolete, glabrous, apiculate terminally from be-low; pinnae 3-10 cm. long, the rachis glandular at the distal 1 to few rachial nodes; leaflets linear to oblong, 5-20 mm. long and 1-5 mm. wide, usually rounded or obtuse apically and basally, scarcely inequilateral, dull, glabrous or subglabrous, the venation remote and moderately prominent below; stipules linear, subsetiform. Inflorescence a slender, elongate, briefly pedunculate, axillary spike inserted on the short-shoots; peduncles mostly 1-2 cm. long, often sparsely pubescent and minute-ly bracteate above the middle; spike commonly about 6 cm. long, rather densely flowered, the floral bracts minute. Flowers sessile, whitish; calyx cupular, about 1 mm. long, glabrous or pubescent, the 5 teeth narrow and remote; petals 5, sub-linear, 2-3 mm. long, free (at least in age), pilose within especially distally; stamens normally 10, up to 6 mm. long, free, glabrous; anthers ovate, less than 1 mm. long, gland-tipped (gland often caducous); ovary pubescent; style stout, exceeding the stamens. Legume linear or linear-subtorulose, not uncommonly 20 or more cm. long and 8 mm. wide or wider, flattened or turgid, pulpy, indehiscent.

A tropical plant. It grows well in arid regions. It can grow on poor, sandy or rocky soil and can grow on salty soils. It grows in the Sahel. It has been introduced and is grown in some coastal areas of Papua New Guinea. It has also become self sown. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 150-750 mm. It grows between 600-2,400 m above sea level. It is wind resistant. It can grow in arid places.

The sweetish white pulp of the pod is eaten raw. They are also ground into meal and mixed with water to make a drink. This is drunk immediately but is also allowed to form a pudding or be fermented into beer. The ripe beans can be soaked overnight and baked with molasses and salt pork. The flowers can be eaten raw, roasted or made into tea. The trunks yield a sweet gum used in candy making.

It grows from seeds. Seeds are sown directly where they are to grow. Seeds are hard to extract from the pod but this can be done by soaking them in water. Seed are easy to store. They can be stored in the pod. It can also be grown by cuttings and suckers.