Catclaw is a shrub in the Fabaceae (Legume) family that is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, from the extreme south of Utah south through southern Nevada, southeast California, Arizona, New Mexico and western Texas to Baja California, Sinaloa and Nuevo Leon in Mexico. In California it is found in the Mojave Desert and on the eastern side of the the Peninsular Range in desert transition chaparral. The genus Senegalia was formerly classified with the Acacias, and some sources still refer to it by that name. Common names for this species include Catclaw Acacia, Catclaw Mesquite, Gregg's Catclaw, Devil's Claw, Paradise Flower, and Wait-a-minute Bush; these names mostly come from the fact that the stems have numerous hooked thorns with the shape and size of a cat's claw, that tend to hook onto passers-by; the hooked person must stop ("wait a minute") to remove the thorns carefully to avoid injury or shredded clothing. The fruit is a legume pod that is valued by wildlife. This plant should be used away from traffic where its thorns will not cause a problem.