Tamarix spp
Family: Tamaricaceae
Plant Description: Shrubs or trees with tiny leaves composed of scales scarcely more than 1 mm long. Flowers in spikelike racemes, the stamens borne on a fleshy, lobed disk.
Plant Trivia: Invasive genus. As the name implies, salt cedar adaptations include storing salt in leaves, dropping them to ground to make salty soil and there for reduce competition for water and nutrients. Not effective in halophytic soil conditions since all plants are salt tolerant.
Field Identification:
Occurrence: Found throughout the west to Mississippi. Mostly planted as Dust Bowl plants for soil conservation. All species are native and come from N. Africa, S Asia, Mediterranean, Canary Islands, China and Japan, Southern Europe, Russia.
Bloom Period: Varies with species.
Plant Use: Wind break.
Key to the species of Tamarix:
- Leaves sheathing the stem……………………………………………………………T. aphylla
Leaves sessile, not sheathing………………………………………………………………………2
2. Filaments inserted between the lobes of disk………………………………………….3
Filaments not inserted as above………………………………………………………………..4
3. Sepals finely toothed; petals obovate……………………………..T. rumosissimus
Sepals more or less entire; petals obovte to ellipse…………….T. chinensis
4. Sepals finely toothed; rachis of raceme usually papillate………………………………………………………………………………………………….T. canariensis
Sepals entire or subentire raceme rachis smooth……………………..T. gallica
stxflora 