New Mexican locust

Taxobox
name = New Mexican Locust

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image_width = 260px
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Fabales
familia = Fabaceae
subfamilia = Faboideae
tribus = Robinieae
genus = "Robinia"
species = "R. neomexicana"
binomial = "Robinia neomexicana"
binomial_authority = A.Gray

New Mexican Locust (or New Mexico, Southwest, Desert, Pink, or Rose Locust), "Robinia neomexicana", is a shrub or small tree in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae, native to the southwestern United States (southeastern California and southernmost Utah east through Arizona and New Mexico to west Texas) and adjoining northern Mexico. In California it is uncommon below 1500 m (5000 ft) in canyons in pinyon-juniper country.cite web | title = Jepson Manual Treatment | year = 1993 | publisher = University of California | url = http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?3691,4198,4199 | accessdate = 2008-06-18] Farther east, it is typically found between 1200 and 2600 meters (4000 and 8500 feet) along streams, in the bottoms of valleys, and on the sides of canyons.cite book | author=Elmore, Francis H. | title=Trees and Shrubs of the Southwest Uplands | publisher=Western National Parks Association | year=1976 | pages = 134 | isbn = 0-911408-41-X]

It grows to 5–10 m tall (rarely to 15 m) with bristly shoots. The leaves are 10–15 cm long, pinnate with 7–15 leaflets; they have a pair of sharp, reddish-brown thorns at the base. The flowers are showy and white or pink, produced in spring or early summer in dense racemes 5–10 cm long that hang from the branches near the ends. The fruits are brown bean-like pods with bristles like those on the shoots.

In New Mexico, Indians ate the flowers uncooked. Cattle are fond of them. Mule deer and goats browse the plant, and squirrels and quail eat the seeds.

References

External links

* [http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=RONE USDA Plants Profile]