17( 



TAMARINDUS 



TAMARIX 



order to prevent fermentation, the first syrup, which is 

 very acid, is poured off and a second is added. Also 

 that an excellent preserve is imported from Curacoa, 

 which is made from the unripe pods preserved in su- 

 gar with the addition of spice. The East Indian Tama- 

 rind has long pods; the West Indian short ones. 



The Tamarind tree yields a handsome furniture 

 wood. It is yellowish wiiite, sometimes with red 

 streaks, hard and close-grained; heart-wood dark pur- 

 plish brown. 



Botanical ly, the flower of the Tamarind is rather dif- 

 ficult to understand. It is far removed from the sweet 

 pea type, which is the one a northerner commonly 

 thinks of as typical of the legume family. At first 

 glance it is a pale yellow flower about an inch across 

 with 6 or 7 petals, of which 3 are veined with red. On 

 closer study it seems that 4 of the showy parts are 

 sepals, which are all pale yellow. The three red-veined 

 parts are petals, while the other two petals that the 

 student expects to find, are reduced to mere bris- 

 tles hidden in the flower at the base of the staminal 

 tube. Only 3 |of the stamens are fertile, the other 6 

 being small and rudimentary. These floral characters 

 distinguish Tamarindus from allied genera, of which 

 only Schotia seems to be cult, in America. 



Tamarinds can be raised from cuttings but more 

 easily by seeds, although they are of slow growth. 



fndica, Linn. (T. officindlis. Hook.). Tamarind. 

 Fig. 2461. Tender evergreen tree, attaining a height of 

 80 ft., with a circumference of 

 25 ft.: Ivs. abruptly pinnate; 

 lfts. 20-40, opposite, oblong, 

 obtuse : fls. pale yellow, the 

 petals veined with red. B.M. 

 4563. — The fls. are said to vary 

 to white or pinkish. 

 W. Harris, E. N. Reasoner 

 and W. M. 



TAMARISK. See Tamarix. 



TAMARIX {ancient Latin 

 name). Tamariscd.cea>. Tama- 

 risk. Ornamental shrubs or 

 trees, with minute, alternate, 

 scale -like leaves and small, 

 usually light pink flowers in 

 racemes or terminal panicles, 

 followed by small capsular 

 *h ^4'r '**§&' fruits. None of the species are 



quite hardy north, but T. Odes- 

 8 ana, Gal lira and parviflora 

 are fairly hardy as far north as 

 Mass. The Tamarisks are all 

 of graceful and distinct appear- 

 ance, with light and feathery 

 foliage and large, loose pani- 

 cles of pinkish flowers. Several 

 of the species bloom late in 

 summer and are a welcome ad- 

 dition to our autumn-flowering 

 shrubs. As they are inhabit- 

 ants of warmer arid regions, 

 they are well adapted for coun- 

 tries of similar climatic condi- 

 tions. They are also excellent 

 for seaside planting. They 

 grow well in saline and alka- 

 line soil and thrive in the very 

 spray of the salt water. Prop. 

 by seeds, which are very fine 

 and should be only slightly 

 covered, or usually by cuttings 

 of ripened wood or greenwood 

 cuttings under glass. 



About 60 species from the 

 Mediterranean region to E. 

 India and Japan. Shrubs or 

 trees: lvs. alternate, scale-like, 

 aplexicaul or sheathing: fls. small, short-pedi- 

 celed or sessile, in rather dense racemes; sepals and 

 petals 4-5; stamens usually 4-5, rarely 8-12, some- 

 times slightly connate at the base: ovary one - celled, 



2462. Tamarix parviflora. 



(xy 2 .) 



often 



surrounded at the base by a disk; styles 2-5: fr. a 

 capsule, dehiscent into 3-5 valves; seeds many, minute, 

 with a tuft of hairs at the apex. Several species have 

 medicinal properties and yield dye-stuffs. The punc- 

 tures of an insect, Coccus manniparus , cause T. man- 

 nifera to produce "manna." 



T. Germanica, Linn., is now referred to the genus 

 Myricaria, which is chiefly distinguished by the 10 sta- 

 mens connate one-third to one-half, and by the 3 sessile 

 stigmas. Ten species are known, all shrubby or suffru- 

 ticose, with the Ms. in terminal, often panicled racemes. 

 M. Germanica, Desv., is a glabrous undershrub, 4-6 ft. 

 high, with upright, wand- like branches: lvs. minute, 

 bluish green, lanceolate, glandular -dotted: fls. light 

 pink or whitish, in 4-6 in. long terminal racemes, usu- 

 ally with lateral ones at the base; stamens connate 

 about one-half. M. and S. Eu., W. Asia. M. Dahiirica, 

 Ehrenb. (Tamarix Dahurica, Willd.), is very similar, 

 but racemes usually solitary and stamens connate only 

 one-third. Dahuria, Transbaikalia. The culture is the 

 same as of Tamarix; they prefer sandy, moist soil. 



INDEX. 



(s. l. refers to supplementary list.) 



Africana, 1. Dahurica, see para- Kashgarica, 7. 



Amurensis, s. l . graph above. Narbonnensis, 3. 



Anglica, 3. Gallica, 3. Odessana, 6. 



arborea. 3. Germanica, see Pallasii, s. l. 



articulata, s. L. paragraph above. parviflora, 1. 



Canariensis, 3. hispida, 7. pentandra, 3. 



Caspica, s. L. Indica, 3. plumosa, 4. 



Ohineusis, 5. Japonica, 4. purpurea, 1. 



juniperiua, 4. tetrandra, 2. 



A. Pis. 4-merous: racemes lateral on last- 

 year's branches. 



B. Petals spreading, persistent 1. parviflora 



bb. Petals erect, deciduous 2. tetrandra 



AA. Fls. 5-merous, usually in terminal 

 panicles. 

 B. Lvs. glabrous. 



c. Petals deciduous 3. Gallica 



cc. Petals persistent. 



D. Pacemes lateral 4. juniperina 



DD. Racemes panicled, terminal. 



e. A tree 5. Chinensis 



ee. A shrub 6. Odessana 



BB. Lvs. pubescent 7. hispida 



1. parvifldra, DC. (T. tetrdnda,\ T a.r. parviflora, Boiss. 

 and Kotschy). Fig. 2462. Shrub or small tree, 15 ft. 

 high, with reddish brown bark and slender spreading 

 branches : lvs. ovate, acuminate, semi-amplexicaul, 

 scarious at the apex when older: fls. pink, very short- 

 pediceled, slender in racemes about 1 in. long, along 

 last year's branches; petals spreading, persistent; 

 calyx very small, sometimes only 3-parted; styles usu- 

 ally 3, much shorter than ovary. April, May. S. Eu. 

 F.S. 9:898. R.H. 1855:401. -Often confounded with the 

 following species, also with T. Africana and Gallica 

 and cult, under these names. T. tetrandra, var. pur- 

 purea, probably belongs here. 



2. tetrandra, Pall. Shrub or small tree, attaining 12 

 ft., with almost black bark: lvs. ovate-lanceolate, some- 

 what narrowed at the base, w T ith diaphanous margin: 

 fls. light pink or almost white, in racemes 1-2 in. long 

 along last year's branches; disk purple, deeply 4-lobed; 

 styles usually 4, about as long as ovary. April, May. 

 S.E. Eu., W. Asia. — Doubtful whether in cultivation in 

 this country; all plants seen under this name by the 

 writer belong to the preceding species. 



3. Gallica, Linn. ( T. pentandra. Pall. T. arbdrea, 

 Sieb. T. Canariinsis, Willd. T. Anglica, Webb). 

 Shrub or small tree, with slender spreading branches: 

 lvs. dull to bluish green, closely imbricated, rhombic- 

 ovate, acute or acuminate, keeled, semi-amplexicaul, 

 with scarious margin: fls. white or pinkish, almost 

 sessile, in slender, panicled racemes; petals deciduous; 

 filaments dilated at the base; disk usually deeply 5- 

 lobed ; styles 3. May-July. W. Eu. Mediterranean 

 region to Himalayas; naturalized in S. Texas. Gn. 34, 

 p. 329.— Var. Indica, Ehrenb. < T. Iudica,\X\m.). With 

 slender, upright branches: lvs. dull green: racemes 

 longer and slenderer: fls. pink; disk obscurely and 



