Common Name:

General Information

Prosopis vinalillo is a tree growing 3 - 10 metres tall. The bole can be 10 - 50cm in diameter[].
The tree is possibly harvested from the wild for its seedpods.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia.

Habitat

Not known

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	6.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the subtropics and tropics, where it is found at elevations up to about 300 metres.
Species in this genus generaly require a sunny position in a well-drained soil[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

The pulpy flesh surrounding the seeds has a sweet flavour[]. The report does not specifically say that the pulp is edible, but this is very likely to be the case, especially since several other closely related members of the genus also have edible flesh inside the seedpods[]. The seedpod is 6 - 24cm long by 6 - 12mm wide and 5 - 8mm thick[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The heartwood is light brown, pink; the narrow band of sapwood is yellow and less than 2cm wide. The texture is fine to medium, there is no characteristic smell or taste.
We have no further specific information for this species, but the wood of most members of this genus is widely used locally for fence posts, fuel etc[].

Propagation

Like many species within the family Fabaceae, once they have ripened and dried the seeds of this species may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing[].

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