Tara spinosa

Native to Cuba and from northern South America to north-central Chile, this thorny evergreen shrub or small tree in the pea family usually grows about 10 to 16 feet tall. Its compound leaves are divided into pairs of oval leaflets. Upright flower clusters carry yellow petals with reddish markings, followed by flattened pods with several hard-coated seeds. It tolerates dry conditions and is used to protect soils from erosion. The pods provide tannins for leather tanning, while the seed endosperm yields tara gum, a thickener and stabilizer used in food. It has naturalized in California, United States. Photographed in the Sacred Valley, Peru.