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Neltuma flexuosa (formerly Prosopis flexuosa), commonly known as tortuous mesquite and a variety of Spanish vernacular names including algarrobo dulce and algarrobo negro, is a species of flowering tree in the genus Neltuma of the family Fabaceae. It is found in arid and semi-arid regions of Argentina, Bolivia and Chile, including the western Gran Chaco and the Monte Desert, where it is a conspicuous and characteristic plant of the region. Its timber is used for construction, charcoal and fuel and its fruits are eaten by humans and livestock.
Neltuma flexuosa is endemic to arid regions of South America. Its range includes western Argentina, northern Chile and possibly the southern part of Bolivia. Its altitudinal range is from sea level to about 2,200 m (7,218 ft). It has two types of habitat, lowland dry forests and gallery forests. The annual rainfall within its range varies between about 50 and 500 millimetres (2.0 and 19.7 in). The tree is tolerant of drought, cold, salt and sand and is the hardiest species in its genus. It is extremely efficient with water consumption, producing most of its fruits in drought years, and has been successfully introduced into other arid regions.
The wood is dense and hard to nail. It is used for livestock fencing and the poles for vineyards, for joinery, for the production of charcoal and for firewood. The fruits have a high nutritional content and are eaten by local people and fed to livestock. This tree is favoured by beekeepers for the production of honey.
Mesquite · Algarrobo Blanco · Chilean Algarrobo · Mesquite · Smooth Mesquite · Mesquite · Neltuma affinis · Neltuma caldenia · Jand · Syrian mesquite · Neltuma glandulosa · Prosopis humilis
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Neltuma flexuosa by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
