5239.000 Tamarix L. - Tamarisks

Shrubs or trees, densely branched; root system deep; bark variously coloured, mostly brownish; young branches usually glabrous, dimorphic, ligneous growing branches not deciduous in winter, green vegetative branchlets deciduous in winter. Leaves alternate, sessile, amplexicaul, vaginate or auriculate; lamina small, scale-like, mostly with salt secreting glands. Inflorescence simple or compound racemes or panicles; bract 1; flowers small, usually pedicellate, 4 or 5-merous; calyx 4 or 5 lobed with imbricate aestivation; petals 4 or 5, free, apex obtuse, slightly notched or somewhat cuneate, pink, violate, purple or white, disk nectariferous, fleshy. Fruit capsules, conical, 3-5 angled, dehiscing via 3 valves. Seeds numerous, minute, compressed, coma sessile.

Worldwide: Species 55, in Africa, Asia and Europe.

Zimbabwe: 2 cultivated taxa.