Neltuma juliflora

Growing to a height of up to , N. juliflora has a trunk diameter of up to . Its leaves are deciduous, geminate-pinnate, light green, with 12 to 20 leaflets. Flowers appear shortly after leaf development. The flowers are in long green-yellow cylindrical spikes, which occur in clusters of 2 to 5 at the ends of branches. Pods are long and contain between 10 and 30 seeds per pod. A mature plant can produce hundreds of thousands of seeds. Seeds remain viable for up to 10 years. The tree reproduces solely by way of seeds, not vegetatively. Seeds are spread by cattle and other animals, which consume the seed pods and spread the seeds in their droppings. Its roots are able to grow to a great depth in search of water similar to Prosopis species. The tree is said to have been introduced to Sri Lanka in the 19th century, where it is now known as vanni-andara, or katu andara in Sinhala. It is claimed that N. juliflora existed and was recognised even as a holy tree in ancient India, but this is most likely a confusion with the superficially similar Prosopis cineraria. The tree is believed to have existed in the Vanni and Mannar regions for a long time. This species has thorns in pairs at the nodes. The species has variable thorniness, with nearly thornless individuals appearing occasionally. In the western extent of its range in Ecuador and Peru, N. juliflora readily hybridises with Neltuma pallida and can be difficult to distinguish from this similar species or their interspecific hybrid strains. Although the tree has a relatively short lifespan of 60 years, it is a hardy plant nonetheless. ==Nomenclature==

s and leaves, Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary (Andhra Pradesh, India) Vernacular names Neltuma juliflora has a wide range of vernacular names, although no widely used English one except for "mesquite", which is also used for several species of Neltuma. It is called bayahonda blanca in Spanish, bayarone Français in French, and bayawonn in Creole. Other similar names are also used, including bayahonde, bayahonda and bayarone, but these may also refer to any Neotropical member of the genus Neltuma. In Tamil this bush tree is called சீமைக் கருவேலம் (seemai karuvelam). The tree is known by a range of other names in various parts of the world, including algarrobe, cambrón, cashaw, épinard, mesquite, mostrenco, or mathenge. Many of the less-specific names are because over large parts of its range, it is the most familiar and common species of mesquite, and thus to locals simply "the" bayahonde, algarrobe, etc. "Velvet mesquite" is sometimes given as an English name, but properly refers to a different species, Neltuma velutina. 's Flora de Filipinas. Blanco already suspected that Prosopis vidaliana, then quite recently described, was identical with bayahonda blanca. Synonyms This plant has been described under a number of now-invalid scientific names: Prosopis chilensis(Molina) Stuntz --> was sometimes considered to belong here too, but is now usually considered a separate species. and in Marwari, baavlia. In Kannada it is known as Ballaari Jaali (ಬಳ್ಳಾರಿ ಜಾಲಿ) meaning "Jaali", local name, abundant in and around Bellary district. In Tamil Nadu, in Tamil language it is known as (சீமைக்கருவேலை), which can be analysed as சீமை ("foreign (or non-native)") + கருவேலை (Vachellia nilotica). Another Tamil name is (வேலிகாத்தான்), from (வேலி) "fence" and (காத்தான்) "protector", for its use to make spiny barriers. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, in the Telugu language it is known as mulla tumma (ముల్ల తుమ్మ),sarkar tumma,"chilla chettu","Japan Tumma Chettu", "Seema Jaali", or "Kampa Chettu". In Malayalam, it is known as "Mullan". A vernacular. The Somali name is 'Garan-waa' which means 'the unknown'. In the Wayuu language, spoken on the La Guajira Peninsula in northern Colombia and Venezuela, it is called trupillo or turpío. In Kenya it is called Mathenge. == As an invasive species ==

N. juliflora has become an invasive weed in several countries where it was introduced. It is considered a noxious invader in Ethiopia, Hawaii, In Australia, mesquite has colonized more than of arable land, having severe economic and environmental impacts. With its thorns and many low branches it forms impenetrable thickets which prevent cattle from accessing watering holes, etc. It also takes over pastoral grasslands and uses scarce water. Livestock which consume excessive amounts of seed pods are poisoned due to neurotoxic alkaloids. It causes land erosion due to the loss of the grasslands that are habitats for native plants and animals. It also provides shelter for feral animals such as pigs and cats. In Sri Lanka this mesquite was planted in the 1950s near Hambantota as a shade and erosion control tree. It then invaded the grasslands in and around Hambantota and the Bundala National Park, causing similar problems as in Australia and Ethiopia. In the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, N. juliflora has emerged as an invasive species. The plant was first introduced by the British in 1877 as part of an effort to plant it along the arid tracts of Southern India. During the 1960s the state government of Tamil Nadu under Chief Minister K. Kamaraj, encouraged the planting of Neltuma juliflora to overcome the shortage of firewood faced by the state at the time, it was also grown as a fence to protect agricultural fields from animals. In 2017, the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court ordered the state government to eradicate the species from the state. In 2022, unsatisfied with the state government, the Madras High Court directed the government to immediately frame a policy to eradicate the plant. The state on 13 July 2022 unveiled a policy to eliminate the invasive species. In Europe, N. juliflora is included since 2019 in the list of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern (the Union list). This implies that this species cannot be imported, cultivated, transported, commercialized, planted, or intentionally released into the environment in the whole of the European Union. == Potential toxicity ==

The seed pods contain neurotoxic alkaloids which are toxic when eaten excessively by livestock. == Uses ==

The sweet pods are edible and nutritious, and have been a traditional source of food for indigenous peoples in Peru, Chile and California. Pods were once chewed during long journeys to stave off thirst. The species' uses also include forage, wood and environmental management. The plant possesses an unusual amount of the flavanol (-)-mesquitol in its heartwood. In the Macará Canton of Ecuador, N. juliflora can be found in dry forests where it is one of the species most frequently harvested for multiple forest products. The tree is a rich source of honey. == References ==