Strombocarpa pubescens
Strombocarpa pubescens, commonly known as screwbean mesquite, is a species of flowering shrub or small tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Description
This plant grows to about. It has light brown bark, usually short, straight spines 1 to 3 centimeters long, twice-compound leaves, and numerous small yellowish flowers appearing in elongate spikes. The tightly twisted seedpods are up to 5 centimeters long and very much resemble turned screws. This morphology may have been an evolutionary defense against seed predators such as bean weevils. The seeds germinate after being scarified in the digestive tracts of animals that eat them. The plant also grows in a clockwise spiral.Habitat
It is found along streams and valleys in deserts, particularly in damp or saline soil. It grows alongside common plants of this habitat type, such as arrowweed and tamarisks. It can be found on playas and other areas of alkaline substrates. This and other mesquite species are dominant plants in the Mesquite Bosque-mesquite woodlands, a common habitat type in the desert southwest region.Many types of animals readily eat the seedpods, including several bird and rodent species and coyotes. Many species of birds nest and roost in the trees, and small mammals find shelter in thicketlike stands.