Acacia greggii  Catclaw
SHRUB or SMALL TREE.  Thin gray branches have many single, thin, recurved sharp thorns.  Small bipinnate leaves with broad oval leaflets.  Oblong clusters of yellow and white sweet-smelling flowers in May, followed by thin, twisted red or brownish seedpods.  Common on dry slopes in desertscrub.  Mimosa aculeaticarpa var. biuncifera has narrower leaflets, broader paired thorns, and round white flowerheads, and usually grows at higher elevations. Prosopis velutina has longer leaves, flower clusters, and pods.
FAMILY:  Fabaceae (Pea Family)