velvet mesquite Fabaceae Prosopis velutina

Leaf:Alternate, bipinnately compound, 3 to 6 inches long, usually with only two major leaflets (may occasionally have 2 to 3 pairs), each leaflet with 15 to 20 pairs of narrow minor leaflets (1/4 to 1/2 inch long) with entire margins and finely hairy surfaces, green to gray-green above, paler below.
Flower:Small pale yellow to yellow-green in 2 to 3 inch long slender spikes in clusters of 2 to 6, appearing late spring to early summer.
Fruit:A 3 to 7 inch long, tubular legume, short pointed, slightly swollen at seeds, light brown, ripening in mid to late summer.
Twig:Light brown, velvety, slightly zigzag with paired slender spines (up to 1 inch long) at the base of each leaf (occasionally there are few thorns); knobby spur branches may also be present.
Bark:Very distinct, rough shreddy to scaly, outer older bark gray-brown, newer bark reddish brown.
Form:A thicket forming small tree to large shrub (up to 25 feet), when undisturbed it typically has one dominant trunk, but when grazed or cut back several crooked and arching stems develop into a broad round crown.

leaf fruit twig bark form map

Notes: