948 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUAI. PART III. 



was known to the Greeks by the name of .Myrica, and to the Latins as 

 Tamarix ; and it is mentioned by Dioscorides as being effective in various 

 diseases. Sir J. E. Smith says, " Commonly planted in English gardens 

 and shrubberies, long before Archbishop Grindall imported this species or 

 T. germanica (it is not clear which), to cure indurations of the spleen." 

 (See Camden's Life of Queen Elizabeth, as quoted in English Flora, vol. ii. 

 p. 112.) In favourable situations, in France, and in the south of Europe, it 

 grows to the height of 15 ft. or 20ft.; but there are instances, both in Bri- 

 tain and on the Continent, of its attaining the height of 30 ft. It prefers a 

 deep, free, sandy soil ; and will only attain a large size when it is in such a 

 soil, and supplied by moisture from the proximity of some river, or other 

 source of water. It is very abundant in the south of Russia and in Tartary, 

 where a decoction of the young twigs is used by the Tartars in cases of rheu- 

 matism and bruises ; and the handles of whips are made of the wood. In 

 France and Italy, it is greedily eaten by sheep, on account, as it is supposed, 

 of its saltish taste. In British gardens, its sole use is as an ornamental shrub, 

 in which respect it is valuable as thriving on the sea shore, where few other 

 shrubs will grow ; as being nearly subevergreen ; and as flowering late in 

 the season, and for several months together. It is abundant in the gardens 

 at Brighton; and at Aldborough, and Landguard Fort, in Suffolk. Planted 

 singly, on a lawn, it grows with great rapidity, and forms a splendid heath- 

 like bush, 10 ft. or 12 ft. high, in 4 or 5 years. It is readily propagated by 

 cuttings, planted in autumn, in a sandy soil, with a northern exposure. 

 The largest plants within ten miles of London are at Syon and Purser's 

 Cross, where they are 15 ft. high, though not fine specimens, having been 

 drawn up among other shrubs : but there is one in Lady Tankerville's gar- 

 den, at Walton on Thames, which is 30 ft. high. Price of plants, in the 

 London nurseries, 1*. 6d. each ; at Bollwyller, 80 cents; at New York, 50 

 cents. 



Varieties. In the Linncca, 2. p. 267., 6 varieties of T. gallica are described. They are as follows : . 

 St T. g. 1 sdbtilis Ehrenberg in Schlecht. Linntea, 2. p. 267., has branches subtile, effuse. 



Leaves glabrous, pale green, a little spreading. This may be considered the form of the 



species. 

 & T. g. 2 narboncnsis Ehr., I.e. Branches stiff, spreading. Leaves glabrous, obscure green, 



densely imbricated, margined with white; spikes of flowers short, rather lateral. 

 & T. g. 3 nilolica Ehr., 1. c., p. 269. Branches effuse, rather loose. Leaves short, glaucous, 



spreading. Spikes elongated. Gland surrounding the ovary, hypogynous, with 10 



equally distant teeth. 

 $k T. g. 4 arborca Sieb. ex Ehrenberg, 1. c. Branches effuse, thickened, stiffish, nearly 



terete. Leaves glabrous, densely adpressed to the stem. Teeth of hypogynous gland 



usually approximate by pairs. 

 & T. g. 5 mannifera Ehr., 1. c, p. 270. Branches stiffish. Leaves short, glaucous, covered with 



white powder, spreading. Hypogynous gland with teeth at equal distances. The manna 



of Mount Sinai (noticed p. 947.) is the produce of this species. Of this there are two 



subvarieties. 

 <fc T. g. 6 helcrophylla Ehr., 1. c., p. 270. Branches very slender. Leaves light green, glabrous, 



short, acute ; the upper ones densely imbricated, the middle ones elongated and bluntish ; 



lower rameal ones broad-ovate, flat. Spikes much elongated, all very slender. 

 Ht T. g. 1 libandlica Lodd. Cat. The Rosemary-like Tamarisk There are plants of this variety 



in the Horticultural Society's Garden, and in the arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges, from 



which it appears to be tolerably distinct. 



App. i. Other hardy Species or Varieties of Tamarix. 



In De Candolle's Prodromus, and in Don's Miller, several hardy sorts of Tamarix are described, in 

 addition to T. gallica, most of which are found in Siberia, Tartary, or Caucasus ; and there are some 

 tender species natives of the Canary Islands and Japan. Most of the hardy sorts described as species 

 are, probably, only varieties of T. gallica ; which, according to Pallas, assumes a great variety of 

 forms, according to the soil, situation, and climate, to which it may be indigenous. The hardy sorts 

 enumerated in Don's Miller areas follows ; and none of them have yet been introduced : 



T. tetrdndra Pal. Don's Mill., 2. p. 725. ; T. gullica llabl. ined. Taur., 6. p. 105. ; is a native of 

 Tauria, about Astracan. 



T. Idxa Willd. is a native of Siberia, in the valleys of Astracan, and about salt lakes. 



T. elongata Led. is also a native of Siberia, in the Desert of Soongaria, in saltish places. 



T. gracilis Willd. is found in Siberia, in salt marshes near the river Irtisch. 



T. hispida Willd., T. pentandra var. Pall., T. gallica. ! var. /3 mild., T. tomentosa Smith, T.ca- 

 nescens Desv., is a native of the sandy deserts about the Caspian Sea. 



T. ramostssima Led., T. gallica Sie.vers, is found at Lake Noor-Laisan, in Siberia. 



T. Pallasii Desv., T. pentandra Pall., T. gallica Sieb., T. panicul&ta Stcv., is a native of Cape 

 Caucasus, and found in deserts about the Caspian Sea. 



T. cupressifdrmis Led. is a native of Siberia, in the Desert of Soongaria, near salt lakes. 



?. parvifidra Dec. is cultivated about Constantinople; but its native country is unknown. 

 > tetrdgyna Ehrenb. is a native of the south of Europe. 



