Saltcedar

Tamarix ramosissima

Summary 5

Tamarix ramosissima, commonly known as Saltcedar or Salt Cedar, is a deciduous arching shrub with reddish stems, feathery, pale green foliage, and characteristic small pink flowers.

Description 6

Shrub or small tree, 1-5 in tall, with reddish or reddish brown bark. Leaves sessile, ovate or deltoid cordate, 2-4 (-5) mm long, 1-2 mm broad acute, somewhat subamplexicaul. Inflorescence aestival and vernal both, aestival densely compound racemes, vernal simple, loose, 1-5 (-7) cm long, 3-4 (-5) mm broad on 0.2-1 cm long peduncles. Bracts ovate, trullate, triangular 1.5-2 mm long, 0.5 mm broad, acute, acuminate, with denticulate margin especially in their lower parts, pedicel very small, 0.5 mm long. Flowers pentamerous. Calyx 0.75-1.25 mm long, sepals 0.5-1 mm long inner 3 much broader than the outer 2, ovate, acute, irregularly denticulate with somewhat scarious margin. Petals pink to pinkish purple rarely white, obovate-elliptic obovate, inequilateral, slightly notched at the apex 1.25-1.75 mm long, 0.75-1 mm broad, persistent. Stamens 5, filaments filiform 2.5-3 mm long, inserted in between the lobes of the disc i.e. mesodiscine disc, lobes of the disc deeply emarginate, insertion hypodiscal, anthers obtuse. Styles 3, clavate, connivent, ovary stipitate. Capsule trigonous, 4-5 mm long, 0.75-1 mm broad, dehiscing by 3 longitudinal slits.

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Joe Decruyenaere, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/38213125@N00/2121031612
  2. (c) Matthew Salkiewicz, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Matthew Salkiewicz
  3. (c) Jesse Rorabaugh, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jesse Rorabaugh
  4. (c) Bob O'Kennon, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Bob O'Kennon
  5. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamarix_ramosissima
  6. (c) Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/4974321

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