Cuji

Cují Tree

Prosopis Juliflora

Mesquite, Southwesthern

A tree up to 10-15 m high, typical of arid and semi-arid regions, with a green-brown, twisted
stem; flexible branches with long, strong thorns, bipinnate leaves; pale-yellow flowers arranged
in spikes; flattened fruit, nondehiscent with hardened epicarp, multi-seeded and curved (approx. 4 mm thick, 1 cm wide and up to 15 cm long). The fleshy mesocarpis rich in saccharose (20-25%) and 10-20% reduced sugars. The root system includes a tap root that grows deeply downwards in
search of water tables.

P. juliflora is native to Peru, Chile and Argentina and has spread to Mexico, the southern USA,
NE Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Venezuela, the West Indies and
the Bahamas. It is also now found in Iran, India, S Africa and Australia.