1096 



THE NATURE BOOK 



JUtf 



THE TAMARISK. 



of growth, is accordingly reduced to a 

 minimum. 



The flowers, complete with stamens 

 and pistil, are indivadually small. They 

 have each five pink or whitish petals. 

 They are densely grouped in long cyhn- 

 drical clusters, occupying nearly the whole 

 length of the slender lateral twigs on 

 which they occur. As these floral twigs 

 are themselves usually clustered towards 

 the ends of the branches they become very 

 conspicuous, resembhng rosy feather 

 plumes. Their colour is deepened by 

 the red tips of the many prominent 

 stamens, of which there are five in each 

 small flower. The petals remain attached 

 till the fruit is ripe. The fruiting clusters 

 bear a striking resemblance to the fruiting 

 catkins of a willow. Each fruit in the 

 long fruit-cluster is a three -valved capsule. 



and contains several seeds. Each of these 

 seeds is crowned with a plume of fine silky 

 hairs serving in aid of its dispersal by the 

 wind. 



Very abundant on the sand}' or marshy 

 sea-coasts of the Mediterranean, and along 

 the western shores of Spain. Portugal and 

 France, its range with us is along the sea 

 border from Cornwall to Suffolk. Though 

 apparently often semi-wild, it was prob- 

 ably always planted in the first instance, 

 its ready growth from cuttings affording 

 facility for quick increase wherever re- 

 quired. This and several varieties are 

 often found in gardens further inland, 

 where their feathery branch sprays and 

 rosy plumes of flowers make a distinctive 

 and welcome addition to the shrubbery 

 border. 



Henry Irving. 



