TAMARISK. 249 



Later botanists mention it as a native plant, 

 because Mr. Giddy, and W. G. Mason, Esq. 

 found it growing on St. Michael's Mount, 

 Cornwall, in the year 1794, as also near Hurst 

 Castle, Hants ; and Dr. Goodenough saw it 

 near Hastings, in Sussex ; but this is by no 

 means satisfactorily proving it to be indi- 

 genous to our soil ; as in all probability it 

 sprang from cultivation in the two latter 

 places, and from some accidental circumstance 

 on the former spot, for it is of so easy propa- 

 gation, that the least sprig of it will often take 

 root when thrown on the earth ; and its not 

 maturing its seed in this country is a suffi- 

 cient proof of its foreign origin. 



The tamarisk has been frequently cele- 

 brated in the verses of the ancient poets : 

 Homer mentions it as the tree against which 

 Achilles laid his spear before he plunged into 

 the Xanthus, to pursue the routed Trojans. 

 It is introduced in the Pastorals of Theocritus, 

 and Virgil has noticed it several times in his 

 Eclogues. Its name may also be found in 

 several passages of the poems of Ovid* 



The Romans considered it an accursed 

 plant, and frequently speak of it as the un- 

 happy tamarisk, as it was used for wreaths to 

 put on the heads of criminals. But as a 

 remedy for diseases of the spleen, it was con- 



