TAMARISCINE.<E 



the throat of the corolla ; stigmas 3, caspule 3-valved, 3 seeded. 

 (Named in honour of J. de Monti, an Italian botanist.) 



1. M. fontdna (Water Blinks). — The only species, an unpre- 

 tending little plant, tufted and pale green, with spathulate entire 

 leaves, well marked by the above characters and common in wet 

 places. — Fl. May — August. Annual. 



Ord. XIV. Tamariscine^e. — The Tamarisk family. 



Shrubs with whip-like branches, minute scale-like leaves, and 

 lateral spikes of small flowers ; sepals 5, rarely 4, imbricate, per- 

 sistent ; petals 5, rarely 4 ; 

 imbricate ; stamens 4 — 10, 

 with versatile anthers ; cap- 

 sule 3— 5-valved; i-chamber- 

 ed; seeds many, tufted with 

 down at the extremity. They 

 are found only in the eastern 

 half of the northern hemi- 

 sphere, and are most numer- 

 ous on the shores of the 

 Mediterranean ; but though 

 preferring the seaside, they 

 are not unfrequently found on 

 the banks of rivers, and occur, 

 also, in the desert, especially 

 where the soil is impregnated 

 with salt, as in the neighbour- 

 hood of Mount Sinai, where a 

 species of Tamarisk, very like 

 the common one, produces 

 a sugary substance called 

 Manna by the Arabs. The 

 bark is astringent, and several 

 species are remarkable for the 

 large quantity of sulphate of 

 soda contained in their ashes, 

 and for the galls which they 

 bear on their branches. 

 These are highly astringent, 

 and are used both in medicine 

 and in dyeing. 



*i. Tamarix. — Styles 3 — 4, spreading; stigmas feathery' ; seeds 

 basal (Name from Tamaris, a river in Spain, now the Tambra, 

 where Tamarisk abounds.) 



tXmarix gXllica {Common Tamarisk). 



