About Prosopis kuntzei Harms
Prosopis kuntzei Harms is a smooth-barked tree that grows 4 to 10 meters tall. Its trunk reaches 40 to 60 cm in diameter, is highly branched, rigid, and bears numerous spines. The leaves are small, 3–5 mm long, and bipinnate; they typically fall very early in spring, after new young sprouts develop into spines. Its inflorescence takes the form of solitary racemes that are 3–7 cm long. The flowers are white-yellowish, scented, and 3 mm long. The fruit is a straight, dehiscent dark violet pod 10–17 cm long, strongly scented, and contains a starchy paste inside. The seeds are flat, egg-shaped, chestnut-colored, and measure 7–10 mm long by 5–6 mm wide. New, wide sprouts emerge between July and November. This tree flowers between September and November, and sets fruit between December and January, retaining its fruits until early August. Its sapwood is light yellow, while its heartwood is chestnut brown with patches of dark violet. The wood has a fine texture and a grain that ranges from straight to wavy to interlocked, and is strongly scented when first cut. The wood of this species is one of the densest and most notably durable in the entire Prosopis genus.
