Local names:
Arabic (ghaf), Bengali (shami), Gujarati (khijado,sumri,semru,sami,kamra), Hindi (janti,banni,jand,chonksa,sangri,shami,chaunkra,khejiri), Sanskrit (jhind,jhand), Tamil (perumbay,vanni,jambu), Trade name (jand,kandi,khejri), Urdu (jandi,thand,kandi)
Prosopis cineraria is a tree to 6.5 m high; cortex cinereous; prickles internodal, scattered, straight, somewhat macroscopic, conical with broad bases. Taproot to more than 3 m long. Leaves 1-3-jugate, glabrous or puberulous; petiole and rachis 0.5-4 cm long, the pinnae 2-7 cm long; leaflets 7-14-jugate, ovate, straight to sub-falcate, without nerves (or 2-4-nerved at base, the midrib excentric), mucronate, 4-15 mm long x 2-4.5 mm broad, greyish when dry; stipules foliaceous, deciduous. Racemes spiciform, 5-13 cm long, several together, subpaniculate; peduncle with amplexicaul bract (or 2 bracts united), this caducous and leaving an oblique scar, 1.5-2 mm long; bractlets ovate, sessile, 0.5-0.8 mm long, caducous; pedicels 0.5 mm, to 1.5 mm long when mature; flowers yellow, glabrous; calyx truncate, 0.8-1.2 mm long; corolla 3.5 mm long, glabrous, the petals rolled back in age; anthers 0.8-1 mm long; pistil glabrous. Fruit slender, elongate, 8-19 cm long (including the stipe 0.8-2 cm), subcylindric-torulose, 4-7 mm in diameter, glabrous; pericarp thin, brittle; endocarp segments thin, longitudinal, little developed; seeds distant, longitudinal, ovate, 6 mm long, the tegument with open horse-shoe fissural line on faces, 10-15 in a pod, brown.
Ecology
In the areas of its natural distribution, the climate is dry to arid characterized by extremes of temperature. The maximum shade temperatures varies from 48 deg C to 52 deg C. The annual rainfall varies from about 120 mm to 250 mm. Where rainfall is more, the tree is found scattered in open dry forests and in some areas on black cotton soil. It is a characteristic tree of secondary dry deciduous forest, desert thorn forest, ravine thorn forest, Zizyphus scrub, and desert dune scrub.
Native range
Afghanistan, India, Iran, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
Tree management
Initial spacing of 2 x 2 m is recommended. Should be weeded until well established. Standing crops yield 7-70 cu m fuel/ha, averaging 21 cu m stacked. Annual yields of stacked firewood approach 3 cu m/ha. The heartwood is very hard and heavy (769-945 kg cu m). Tree coppices readily. In India, a special type of lopping which inflicts minimum damage is used on the trees. The method, locally known as "changni", is acquired through traditional wisdom in farm families. It is a common belief that such lopped trees bear lush green leafy fodder in the subsequent year.
Ripe pods are collected by lopping or shaking the branches. The pods are dried in the sun, beaten and winnowed to separate clean seed. Seeds weigh 25 000-27 000/kg. When stored properly seeds can keep well for several years.
In the areas of its natural distribution, the climate is dry to arid characterized by extremes of temperature. The maximum shade temperatures varies from 48 deg C to 52 deg C. The annual rainfall varies from about 120 mm to 250 mm. Where rainfall is more, the tree is found scattered in open dry forests and in some areas on black cotton soil. It is a characteristic tree of secondary dry deciduous forest, desert thorn forest, ravine thorn forest, Zizyphus scrub, and desert dune scrub.
The tree reproduces freely by root suckers and establishes well from seeds. The seeds should be soaked for 24 hours and may be processed and planted like P. alba. They retain their viability for at least one year.
The trees are planted for sand dune stabilization and reclamation.
P. cineraria pods are used as vegetable in the dried and green form in many parts of the Thar desert in India. During India's Rajputana famine (1868–69), many lives were spared, using the sweetish bark as a food. It was ground into flour and made into cakes.
The leafy portion, known locally in India as “loong’ is available for 4-5 months (June-October), during which it is used as dry fodder for animals and is sometimes mixed with animal feed.
In the Punjab, its rather scanty, purplish brown heartwood is preferred to other kinds for firewood. It is an excellent fuel, also giving high-quality charcoal (5,000 kcal/kg).
Timber: Wood used for boat frames, houses, posts, and tool handles; the poor form of unimproved trees limits use as timber.
Tannin or dyestuff: Bark and leaf galls used for tanning.
Medicine: Reported to be astringent, demulcent, and pectoral, it is a folk remedy for various ailments. In India, the flowers are mixed with sugar and administered to prevent miscarriage. In Las Bela, India, the ashes are rubbed over the skin to remove hair. The bark, considered anthelmintic, refrigerant, and tonic, is used for asthma, bronchitis, dysentery, leucoderma, leprosy, muscle tremors, piles, and wandering of the mind. Smoke from the leaves is suggested for eye troubles, but the fruit is said to be indigestible, inducing biliousness, and destroying nails and hair. Punjabis consider the pod astringent. Central Province Indians use bark for rheumatism. Although recommended for scorpion sting and snakebite, the plant has not proved out.Reclamation: The trees are planted for sand dune stabilization and reclamation.
Gum or resin: The tree yields a pale to amber coloured gum with properties similar of gum acacias.
Nitrogen fixing: It fixes atmospheric nitrogen.
Soil improver: Pakistanis and Indians believe, quite properly, that it increases fertility under its canopy.
Intercropping: Owing to the deep root system, a mono-layered canopy and the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, P. cineraria is compatible with agri-horticultural crops. The tree boosts the growth and productivity of the companion plants. Besides, it does not compete for moisture with crop plants, which may be grown close to its trunk.