Title: nature-mesquite
Headings: Honey mesquite
Honey mesquite
Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa Torr. Fabaceae (Bean or Legume Family)
References

Content: Irving 1966). Seeds have been recovered from a few coprolites (e.g., Williams-Dean 1978), but after the pod has been reduced to meal and consumed, evidence of mesquite consumption is difficult to detect. Swallowing the very hard seed would have been accidental. Food. Mesquite pods are rich in carbohydrates and have a low moisture content, important qualities for efficient harvesting, processing, and storage. Hodgson (2001) reports that mesquite mesocarps contain about 32% sugars and 7% protein. Many other assays include the seeds, which are high in plant protein (29-39%), but are not easy to process and are indigestible. Historic and ethnographic records indicate that almost every part of the mesquite tree has a use. The Pima Indians of southern Arizona referred to the mesquite as the "tree of life" (Rea 1979). Unfortunately, descriptions of mesquite use in Texas are limited to relatively brief entries by priests or explorers, and ethnographic studies are lacking.