Mezquit

Mezquit (Prosopis glandulosa), a leguminous tree, allied to the Mimosas (q.v.), native of Texas. It grows 30 feet high, with hard, durable wood; bi-pinnate, glaucous leaves; small, yellowish flowers, sessile in little heads; and indehiscent pods. The tree yields much valuable gum allied to gumarabic. P. pubescens, the screw-bean, so called from its twisted pods, in Texas, New Mexico, and -California, P. dulcis, the South American algarobo (the sweet pods of which are used for cattle food), and P.juliflora, of Jamaica, also yield gum mezquite.