babul or long-thorn kiawe (prosopis juliflora) with cylindrical inflorescence : (pix sanjiv shukla)

prosopis juliflora longthorn kiawe family fabaceae leguminosae legume pea bean shrub small tree noxious invasive weed africa asia colonized transmission malaria dry periods mosquitoes deciduous leaves light green leaflets flowers long greenyellow cylindrical spikes occur clusters branches pods seeds spread cattle animals droppings roots great depth water introduced thorns pairs nodes hybrid indian subcontinent edible nutritious traditional source food indigenous people mexico south america caribbean