In northern Mexico the leaves and dried flower heads are sold in the drug markets under the name of _hojase_, recommended, in the form of a brew, as a remedy for indigestion.
[Illustration: Prosopis pubescens Prosopis juliflora]
Common names: MESQUITE, HONEY MESQUITE Arizona, California and Texas deserts: (_Prosopis juliflora_). Yellow. April-June. Pea family. Size: Tree 15 to 25, rarely 30 feet high.
Mesquite (mess-KEET) is one of the commonest and most widespread of desert trees, often growing in extensive thickets. It occurs at elevations below 5,000 feet, usually along streams, desert washes, or in locations where the water table is relatively high, from Kansas to California and south into Mexico. Roots are reported to penetrate to a depth of 60 feet with more wood below ground than above. In some parts of the desert, blowing sand settles around Mesquite clumps forming hummocks through which rodents tunnel.
The numerous branches are armed with sturdy, straight thorns. In the spring when covered with bright green leaves and laden with catkin-like clusters of greenish-yellow flowers, Mesquite is a particularly handsome shrub or tree. Blossoms are fragrant and attract myriads of insects, including Honeybees.
During pioneer days, Mesquite wood was of the utmost importance to settlers as fuel, and was also used extensively in building corrals and in making furniture and utensils. With the exception of Ironwood, Mesquite is the best firewood to be found in the desert, giving off a characteristic aroma and forming a long-lived bed of coals.
Fruits of the Mesquite, which resemble string beans, ripen in autumn and are eaten by domestic livestock and other animals. They are rich in sugar and still form a staple food among natives. Indians made wide use of Mesquite, the fruits often carrying them over periods when their crops failed. _Pinole_, a meal made by grinding the long, sweet pods, was served in many ways. When fermented, it formed a favorite intoxicating drink of the Pimas. The gum, which exudes through the bark, was eaten as candy, and was used as a pottery-mending cement, and as a black dye.
Common names: SCREWBEAN, FREMONT SCREWBEAN, SCREWPOD MESQUITE, (_TORNILLO_) Arizona, Texas, and California deserts: (_Prosopis pubescens_). Yellow. May-June. Pea family. Size: Shrub, or tree up to 20 feet.