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PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS tamaeix 



XXI. TAMARISCINE-(E— Tamarisk Order 



A small genus containing 5 genera, and about 40 species of shrubs or under- 

 shrubs, rarely trees or durable herbs. Leaves alternate, very small, often 

 scale-like, imbricate, entire, and often fleshy with a usually pitted surface. 

 Stipules none. Flowers regular, often hermaphrodite, in close spikes, or 

 racemes, often white or rose, flesh-coloured, small or showy. Sepals 5, 

 rarely 4, free or connate at the base, much imbricated in bud. Petals 5, 

 rarely 4, free, or cohering in a tube at the base. Disc hypogynous or shghtly 

 perigynous, 10-glandular, crenate or angulate, rarely absent. Stamens 5 or 

 more, inserted on the disc, free, or variously connate at the base. Anthers 

 2-celled, versatile. Ovary free, 1-celled, or imperfectly septate. Capsule 

 dehiscent, leathery. 



TAMARIX (Tamarisk). — A genus 

 containing about 20 species (50 according 

 to some authors) of small trees or bushes, 

 with minute, scale-like leaves, stem- 

 clasping or sheathing. Flowers white or 

 rose, in spikes or dense racemes. Sepals 

 4-5, rarely 6, free. Petals 4-5, inserted 

 under the glandular, crenate, angled or 

 lobed disc, free, or slightly connate at the 

 base. Stamens 5-10, rarely 4, or 11-12, 

 inserted on the disc, free or connate in a 

 ring near the base. Ovary narrowed up- 

 wards ; styles 3-4, short, thick. 



Culture and Propagation. — The 

 Tamarisks thrive in almost any good 

 garden soil, and are very efifective orna- 

 ments in shrubberies and borders. Along 

 the south coast and in the Channel 

 Islands the common Tamarisk (T. 

 gallica) is a lovely feathery, Heath-like 

 tree. Plants may be increased by msert- 

 ing cuttings of the flowerless shoots about 

 4 in. long under glass in sandy soil during 

 the summer months. When well rooted 

 they may be planted out in spring in a 

 warm sunny border and well watered. 



Seeds may also be sown as soon as 

 ripe in cold frames, and the young plants 

 may be grown in the frames until the 

 following spring, when they may be trans- 

 ferred to a warm and sheltered border. 

 Seeds may also be sown in spring and 

 treated in the same way. 



T. chinensis. — This is somewhat 

 similar to T. gallica, but has if anything 

 a more gracefiil and feathery appearance. 

 It is sometimes called T. japonica 

 pVumosa, and produces pink flowers. 



Culture dc. as above. It is not quite 

 so hardy as T. gallica. 



T. gallica {Common TarniarisTc). — A 

 fast-growing, beautiful evergreen shrub 

 6-12 ft. high, native of Britain, and also 

 distributed throughout Europe to India. 

 Leaves very small, closely imbricated, 

 triangular, auricled and keeled on the 

 very slender, feathery branchlets, and 

 about ^ in. long, and awl-shaped on older 

 wood. Flowers from July to September, 

 white or pink, in catkin-like spikes 1 in. 

 long. 



Culture dc. as above. 



T. hispida {T. Ichasgarica). — This is 

 a recently introduced species from Central 

 Asia. The leaves are very small and 

 blue-green in appearance, closely pressed 

 to the stems, and the rosy-carmine flowers 

 are produced in autumn. 



Culture itc. as above. 



T. parviflora ( T. africana). — A 

 native of S.E. Eiu:ope, 6-10 ft. high, 

 with small lance-shaped acute leaves, 

 shghtly keeled. Flowers in summer, 

 pink, crowded on spikes or lateral 

 racemes. 



Culture dc. as above. 



T. tetrandra. - — A Caucasian shrub 

 6-8 ft. high, with lance-shaped stem- 

 clasping leaves. Flowers in summer, 

 pinkish-white, borne on lateral racemes 

 about 1^ in. long, and remarkable for 

 having only 4 stamens or anthers, as 

 indicated by the name. 



Cultvre dc. as above. This species is 

 very hardy and produces seeds freely in 

 the neighbourhood of London. 



MYRICARIA.— A small genus con- 

 taining 3 or 4 closely related species 

 of deciduous undershrubs, with small. 



