Fabaceae

Parkinsonia aculeata

Common Names: Parkinsonia

Plant Form: Upright thicket-forming shrub or small tree. Size: 2-6 m tall. Stem: Slender, drooping and tend to zig-zag. With thorns 5-20 mm long. Leaves: Flat green stalk up to 30 cm long with small green leaflets along both sides. Flowers: Bright yellow, fragrant 1-2 cm wide, in loose bundles on long stalks near branch ends. Fruit and Seeds: Pencil-like pods 5-10 cm long with constrictions between seeds. Habitat: Floodplains, riverbanks, pastures, roadsides, woodland. Distinguishing Features: Flattened leaf stalk with leaflets distinguishes from Mesquites (Prosopis species) and Prickly acacias (Vachellia species). Impacts: Forms dense thickets making land inacessible and sheltering pest animals. Causes erosion and can make water inaccessible.