[FAMILY 153.] TAMARICACEAE
Shrubs, undershrubs, or trees. Leaves alternate, undivided, exstipulate. Flowers terminal, solitary or in racemes, regular, 4-5-, rarely 6-7-merous. Petals hypogynous, free. Disc present. Anthers versatile, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior, 1-celled, with basal or parietal placentas. Ovules numerous, ascending, inverted, with a very short funicle. Styles or sessile stigmas several, free or united at the base. Fruit a capsule. Seeds hairy; embryo straight.—Genera 3, species 25. (Plate 101.)
1. Flowers solitary. Petals 5, with an appendage on the inner face. Stamens numerous. Styles distinctly separated from the ovary, thread-shaped; stigmas small, simple. Placentas extending throughout the ovary, but bearing ovules at the base only, later on separating from the wall of the ovary. Seeds with a boss at the top, hairy all round, albuminous.—Species
3. North Africa. Used for making salt. [Tribe REAUMURIEAE.]. Reaumuria L.
Flowers in racemes. Petals unappendaged. Stamens as many or twice as many as the petals. Ovary beaked. Styles short and thick or wanting; stigmas broadened. Placentas basal-subparietal, cushion-shaped.
Seeds without a boss, but with a tuft of hairs at the top, exalbuminous. [Tribe TAMARICEAE.] 2
2. Anthers turned inwards. Stigmas sessile, cushion-shaped. Seeds with
a stalked tuft of hairs.—Species 1. North West Africa (Algeria). Myricaria Desv.
Anthers turned outwards. Filaments free or almost free. Stigmas borne upon a short style, more or less spatulate. Seeds with a sessile tuft of hairs.—Species 20. Some of them yield timber, tanning and dyeing materials, and medicaments, or serve as ornamental plants.
(Plate 101.) “Tamarisk.” Tamarix L.
TAMARICACEAE.
FLOW. PL. AFR.
Pl. 101.
J. Fleischmann del.
Tamarix senegalensis DC.
A Flowering branch. B Flower cut lengthwise. C Stamen. D Fruit. E Seed.