Khejri bean
Prosopis cineraria

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A deciduous tree. It grows 12 m high. It has a deep taproot that can be 30 m long. It is thorny and has deeply fissured bark. The twigs are reddish when young. The spines occur singly. They are scattered on the twigs and have a cone shaped base. The leaves are twice feathered. They have 1-3 pairs of side stalks. There are 7-12 pairs of leaflets. They are small and pointed. They flowers are small and yellow. They are densely clustered on spikes. The fruit are long, slender, cylindrical pods. They are 12-25 cm long and 5-8 mm wide. They are leathery and hang down. They have a dry sweetish pulp. There are 10-15 seeds.

Also as Mimosaceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical and subtropical plant. The plant grows best on sandy plains, sand dunes. It suits arid regions. It can grow in places with less than 75 cm of annual rainfall. It can tolerate alkaline soils and possibly salty soils. It can tolerate pH up to 9.8.

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Arabia, Asia, India (country/location of origin), Iran, Indonesia, Kuwait, Middle East, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, UAE

How it is used for food

The dried bark, leaves and seeds have been dried and ground and mixed with other grain flours. The young leaves are eaten. The gum is edible. The bark has a bitter taste. It is probably better avoided. During famines it was ground to flour and used to make bread. The unripe pods are boiled and used as a vegetable. The mature pods are eaten as a fruit. The dried pods have been eaten raw. The sweetish pulp around the seeds is eaten green or dry, raw or cooked. It is also boiled with vegetables and salt and butter. It can also be dried and preserved.

Fruit are sold in markets.

Edible parts

Fruit, pods, bark, seeds, leaves, gum

How it is grown

It can be grown from seeds, It can also be grown by budding to produce smaller plants. These can be used as a hedge. It can be grown with moth or Urd beans and mustard.

Its other names

Local names

Banni, Chaunkra, Ghaf, Hamra, Jambi, Jambu, Jammi chettu, Jand, Jandi, Jangli matar, Jhand, Jot, Kandi, Khaka, Khanjra, Khar, Khejari, Khejdi, Khejra, Khejri, Khijado, Parampu, Perumbai, Perumbay, Sami, Sangri, Saundad, Saundar, Saunder, Semru, Shami, Shami, Sheh, Shemri, Shum, Summi, Tambu

Synonyms

Acacia cineraeia (L.) Willd.; Prosopis spicigera Linn.; Mimosa cineraria L; and others