Tamarisk

Tamarisk (Tamarix), a genus of plants of the natural order Tamaricaceæ. This order contains rather more than forty known species, all natives of the warmer parts of Europe and Asia, and of Africa, generally growing in arid situations. Some of them are herbaceous, others are shrubs or small trees, with rod-like branches, scale-like leaves, and small flowers in close spikes or racemes. The Common Tamarisk (T. gallica) grows in sandy places in the countries near the Mediterranean, and has been naturalised in some places on the southern coasts of England. It sometimes attains a height of 30 feet. The twigs seem to possess tonic properties, and their medicinal virtues were once in high repute. The ashes of this and some other species of the genus contain much sulphate of soda. The Oriental Tamarisk (T. orientalis) is one of the few trees to be seen in the Arabian and African deserts, where its leafless appearance accords with the surrounding desolation. Galls are found on some species in India, and are valued both for medicinal use and for dyeing. T. mannifera yields a kind of Manna (q.v.). The German Tamarisk (Myricaria germanica), belonging to another genus of this order, is a smaller shrub than the common tamarisk, and abounds in many parts of Europe and Asia.