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Useful Temperate Plants

Parkinsonia microphylla

Torr.

Fabaceae

+ Synonyms

Cercidiopsis microphylla (Torr.) Britton & Rose

Cercidium microphyllum (Torr.) Rose & I.M.Johnst.

Common Name: Yellow Palo Verde

No Image.

General Information

Parkinsonia microphylla is a spiny, deciduous shrub or a small tree usually growing 3 - 4 metres tall but occasionally reaching 8 metres. The branches are usually ascending, the plant being nearly as wide as it is tall. The trunk can be up to 30cm in diameter, usually branching into 4 - 6 major stems around 20cm above the ground[
1050
Title
Fire Effects Information System
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants
,
1333
Title
The Genus Cercidium (Leguminosae:Caesalpinioideae) in the Sonoran Desert of Mexico and the United States
Publication
Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Series 4, Vol XL, No 2, pp 17-57; 1974
Author
Carter A.M.
Publisher
 
Year
1974
ISBN
 
Description
 
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a source of food, and has potential for use as a protein supplement. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental in semi-arid regions[
1050
Title
Fire Effects Information System
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

1333
Title
The Genus Cercidium (Leguminosae:Caesalpinioideae) in the Sonoran Desert of Mexico and the United States
Publication
Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Series 4, Vol XL, No 2, pp 17-57; 1974
Author
Carter A.M.
Publisher
 
Year
1974
ISBN
 
Description
 

Range

Southwestern N. America - California, Arizona, northern Mexico

Habitat

Coarse soils of plains and hillslopes; mainly at elevations up to 600 metres, occasionally reaching 800 metres[
1333
Title
The Genus Cercidium (Leguminosae:Caesalpinioideae) in the Sonoran Desert of Mexico and the United States
Publication
Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Series 4, Vol XL, No 2, pp 17-57; 1974
Author
Carter A.M.
Publisher
 
Year
1974
ISBN
 
Description
 
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *  *
HabitDeciduous Tree
Height3.00 m
PollinatorsInsects
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Parkinsonia microphylla is a plant of arid and semi-arid climates in southwestern N. America, experiencing high summer temperatures and a highly variable rainfall[
1050
Title
Fire Effects Information System
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants
].
Requires a well-drained soil in a sunny position[
1050
Title
Fire Effects Information System
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants
].
The leaves of this species are ephemeral. The plant usually comes into leaf in the rainy season, but the leaves are soon deciduous, the function of photosynthesis being carried out by the green stems[
1333
Title
The Genus Cercidium (Leguminosae:Caesalpinioideae) in the Sonoran Desert of Mexico and the United States
Publication
Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Series 4, Vol XL, No 2, pp 17-57; 1974
Author
Carter A.M.
Publisher
 
Year
1974
ISBN
 
Description
 
].
The plant often responds poorly to coppicing[
1050
Title
Fire Effects Information System
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants
].
This species occasionally forms hybrids throughout its range with blue paloverde (Parkinsonia florida). In Mexico, it hybridizes with Parkinsonia praecox to form the natural hybrid Sonoran paloverde (Parkinsonia x sonorae)[
1050
Title
Fire Effects Information System
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants
].
Although many species within the family Fabaceae have a symbiotic relationship with soil bacteria, this species is said to be devoid of such a relationship and therefore does not fix atmospheric nitrogen[
1309
Title
The Leguminosae; A Source Book of Characteristics, Uses and Nodulation
Publication
 
Author
Allen O.N.; Allen E.K.
Publisher
University of Wisconsin
Year
1981
ISBN
0-333-32221-5
Description
An amazing and comprehensive work, giving a brief guide to the many genera of the family Fabaceae and also the principle uses of the genus.
].

Edible Uses

Seeds - cooked[
257
Title
Native American Ethnobotany
Publication
 
Author
Moerman. D.
Publisher
Timber Press. Oregon.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-88192-453-9
Description
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
,
1333
Title
The Genus Cercidium (Leguminosae:Caesalpinioideae) in the Sonoran Desert of Mexico and the United States
Publication
Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Series 4, Vol XL, No 2, pp 17-57; 1974
Author
Carter A.M.
Publisher
 
Year
1974
ISBN
 
Description
 
]. The dried beans were roasted (often until almost burnt) then ground into a powder and made into a mush or into cakes[
257
Title
Native American Ethnobotany
Publication
 
Author
Moerman. D.
Publisher
Timber Press. Oregon.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-88192-453-9
Description
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
]. Usually viewed as a famine food and only used when better foods were not available[
257
Title
Native American Ethnobotany
Publication
 
Author
Moerman. D.
Publisher
Timber Press. Oregon.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-88192-453-9
Description
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
].
The seeds are rich in protein (they contain around 22% protein, 50% carbohydrate and 18% fat) and have potential for use as a human food[
1543
Title
Protein Quality and Antinutritional Factors of Wild Legume Seeds from the Sonoran Desert
Publication
J. Agric. Food Chem. 1996, 44, 3130−3132
Author
Vázquez-Moreno L. & Robles-Burgueňo M.R.
Publisher
 
Year
1996
ISBN
 
Description
 
]. The dried, powdered seed has a digestibility rating of 76%, increasing to 85% when cooked - this is higher than for many of the commonly eaten legume foods. The seeds do contain antinutritional factors, including trypsin inhibitors, phenols, alkaloids and haemagglutinin, but these are not present in high enough concentration to constitute a major nutritional problem. These antinutritional factors are soluble in saline solutions and can be removed by soaking or during cooking[
1543
Title
Protein Quality and Antinutritional Factors of Wild Legume Seeds from the Sonoran Desert
Publication
J. Agric. Food Chem. 1996, 44, 3130−3132
Author
Vázquez-Moreno L. & Robles-Burgueňo M.R.
Publisher
 
Year
1996
ISBN
 
Description
 
].
The seedpods are 35 - 110mm long and 7 - 9mm wide, containing 1 - 4, brown, sub-globose seeds 8 - 10mm long and 5 - 7mm wide[
1333
Title
The Genus Cercidium (Leguminosae:Caesalpinioideae) in the Sonoran Desert of Mexico and the United States
Publication
Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Series 4, Vol XL, No 2, pp 17-57; 1974
Author
Carter A.M.
Publisher
 
Year
1974
ISBN
 
Description
 
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The wood is hard and heavy[
1050
Title
Fire Effects Information System
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Parkinsonia+microphylla>

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