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Jerusalem Thorn
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Jerusalem Thorn
ntroduced Photo: Tabish
Common name: Jerusalem thorn, Mexican palo verde • Hindi: विलायती कीकर Vilayti kikar, राम बबूल Ram babul • Tamil: Sinia tumana • Telugu: Seemathumma • Kannada: ಪರಂಗಿಜಾಲಿ Parangi jali (paraŋgi jāli) • Marathi: Vilaiti-kikkar
Botanical name: Parkinsonia aculeata     Family: Fabaceae (pea family)

Jerusalem thorn is a small tree growing to 25 ft tall with a short trunk and a graceful, spreading, sometimes weeping, crown to 20 ft wide. Jerusalem thorn has peculiar straplike, twice compound leaves that look like long, feathery streamers. The leaves appear shortly after rain, they fold up at night, and usually within a few days the tiny leaflets drop off, leaving the persistent rachises (midribs) to flutter like streamers in the wind. Flowers are yellow and fragrant, 2 cm in diameter, growing from a long slender stalk in groups of 8-10. Though the plant can flower all year round the main flowering period is October.

Identification credit: Rita Singh Photographed in Jamia Millia, Delhi & Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh.

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