Tamarix africana Poiret

Spice Detail Fruit

Family: TAMARICACEAE

Genus: Tamarix

Catalan common name: Gatell. Tamarell. Tamaric.

Spanish common name: Tamarisco. Taray.

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Lleida. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Formentera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): West Mediterranean

Plants protected by law: Balearic Catalogue.

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Caducifolious. Macrophanerophyte.

Habitats: Litoral marshes and riparian. Rocky coastlines. Non-saline wetlands (intermittent watercourses, streams, artesian wells, ditches). Salt marshes near the sea.

Characteristics: A bush or small tree of torrents and wet lands, has fairly thick inflorescences, almost a centimetre in width, a whitish colour that emerge on older branches; this character allows us to distinguish it from Tamarix anglica and Tamarix canariensis, which develop their inflorescences on young non-lignified branches. Flowers at beginning of spring.