General: Screwbean Mesquite (Prosopis pubescens) are medium-sized, spindly, many branched, thorny trees with many straight, stout spines along the stems. They produce bean pods that are tightly twisted (like a screw) and grow in clumps.

Screwbean Mesquite are found in washes and other wet areas in the Lower Sonoran (Creosote-Bursage Flats) and Upper Sonoran (Mojave Desert Scrub) life zones.

Family: Pea (Fabaceae).

Other names:

Plant Form: medium-sized, spindly, many branching tree.

Height: Usually 10-15 ft.

Trunk: Thick with rough bark.

Leaves: Compound leaves with small leaflets, typical of members of the pea family.

Flowers: Bottlebrush-shaped catkins on a stalk (spikes). Individual flowers are small, creamy or pale yellow, and tubular. Blooms during spring.

Seeds: Small seeds produced in bean pods that are tightly twisted (like a screw). Individuals pods are clumped together.

Distribution: Southern California deserts, southern Nevada, and river drainages in Arizona that connect with the Colorado River. Patchily distributed across Arizona and New Mexico, then throughout the Rio Grande River system.

Elevation:

Comments: These plants indicate the presence of water, but their roots can penetrate 70-80 feet to reach it, so it probably isn't worth digging to find water.