thumb|Prosopis articulata ([[MHNT)]]
Prosopis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The current circumscription of the genus contains three species found in northern Africa, the Middle East, Central and South Asia. Previously it also contained around 40 species of spiny trees and shrubs found in subtropical and tropical regions of the Americas and Africa, now mostly placed in genera Strombocarpa and Neltuma. They often thrive in arid soil and are resistant to drought, on occasion developing extremely deep root systems. Their wood is usually hard, dense and durable. Their fruits are pods and may contain large amounts of sugar. The generic name means "burdock" in late Latin and originated in the Greek language.
Species
The current circumscription of the genus contains three species, which are found in South Asia, the Middle East and northern Africa.
- Prosopis cineraria <small>(L.) Druce<!--1914--></small> – Persian mesquite, ghaf, khejri (Arabian Peninsula, Iran and South Asia)<!--– jand; ghaf (Arabic); sami or sumri (Gujarati); khejri, sangri (Rajasthani); kandi (Sindhi)-->
- Prosopis farcta <small>(Banks & Sol.) J.F.Macbr.<!--1919--></small> – Syrian mesquite (northern Africa, Middle East, Central and South Asia)
- Prosopis koelziana <small>Burkart</small> (Arabian Peninsula, Iraq and Iran)
Traditionally the genus included many more species with a cosmopolitan distribution. A taxonomic monograph in 1976 by Arturo Erhardo Burkart recognised 44 species and subdivided the genus into five sections: section Anonychium in Africa, section Prosopis in Asia, and sections Algarobia, Monilicarpa and Strombocarpa in the New World.
The following phylogenetic tree shows the relationship of these genera (bold) with other closely related mimosoid genera.