THE TAMARISK. 



Tamarix gallica. 



Natural Order — T.amariscine^. 

 Class — Pentandrta. Order — TrigYxNia. 



The Tamarisk is a native of most of the coun- 

 tries of Southern Europe^ Asia Minor, Tartary, 

 Japan, Barbary and Arabia, assuming a great 

 variety of forms, according to the soil, situation, 

 and climate in which it grows. It was known to 

 the Greeks and Romans under the name of 

 Myrica, and frequent mention of it occurs in the 

 writings of the ancients. Pliny describes it as 

 an evergreen, but this title it scarcely merits with 

 us, for it only partially retains its foliage during 

 the winter. It is, however, a very pleasing shrub, 

 remarkable for the rich purple of its long taper- 

 ing branches, and the light feathery appearance 

 of its spray. The flowers are produced in July, 

 growing in bunches of spikes near the ends of the 

 shoots ; they are flesh-coloured, with red stamens. 



The Tamarisk is scarcely indigenous to Britain ; 

 for though it is said by some to be wild in Corn- 

 wall and on other parts of the coast, it bears every 

 appearance of having been planted. It was first 

 observed in an apparently wild state on St. 

 Michael's Mount, whither, perhaps, it may have 

 been brought from the opposite coast of France 

 by smugglers. It is now a common hedge-plant 

 in many parts of the Cornish coast, having been 

 introduced, it is said, into the Lizard district by 



