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{{short description|Genus of plants}} {{short description|Genus of plants}}
{{Redirect|Tamarisk}} {{Redirect|Tamarisk}}
{{Distinguish | text = ], a leguminous tree grown for its edible pods, or ], an American larch tree}} {{Distinguish |text = ], a leguminous tree grown for its edible pods, or ], an American larch tree}}
{{automatic taxobox {{automatic taxobox
|image = Tamarix_aphylla.jpg |image = Tamarix_aphylla.jpg
|image_caption = '']'' in its natural habitat in ], ] |image_caption = '']'' in its natural habitat in ], ]
|taxon = Tamarix |taxon = Tamarix
|authority = ]<ref name="GRIN">{{cite web |url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?11855 |title=Genus: ''Tamarix'' L. |work=Germplasm Resources Information Network |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |date=1998-04-28 |access-date=2011-02-18}}</ref> |authority = ]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?11855 |title=Genus: ''Tamarix'' L. |work=Germplasm Resources Information Network |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |date=1998-04-28 |access-date=2011-02-18 |archive-date=2015-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923221640/http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?11855 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|subdivision_ranks = Species |subdivision_ranks = Species
|subdivision = See text |subdivision = See text
}} }}


The genus '''''Tamarix''''' ('''tamarisk''', '''salt cedar''', '''taray''') is composed of about 50–60 species of ]s in the family ], native to drier areas of ] and ].<ref>Baum, Bernard R. (1978), "The Genus Tamarix", The Israel Academy of Science and Humanities</ref> The generic name originated in ] and may refer to the ] in ] (]).<ref>{{Citation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2ndDtX-RjYkC |title=CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names |volume=4 R–Z |year=2000 |first=Umberto |last=Quattrocchi |publisher=Taylor & Francis US |isbn=978-0-8493-2678-3 |page=2628}}</ref> The genus '''''Tamarix''''' ('''tamarisk''', '''salt cedar''', '''taray''') is composed of about 50–60 species of flowering plants in the family ], native to drier areas of ] and ].<ref>Baum, Bernard R. (1978), "The Genus ''Tamarix''", The Israel Academy of Science and Humanities</ref> The generic name originated in ] and may refer to the ] in ] (]).<ref>{{Citation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2ndDtX-RjYkC |title=CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names |volume=4 R–Z |year=2000 |first=Umberto |last=Quattrocchi |publisher=Taylor & Francis US |isbn=978-0-8493-2678-3 |page=2628 |access-date=2020-12-03 |archive-date=2023-03-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230302193550/https://books.google.com/books?id=2ndDtX-RjYkC |url-status=live }}</ref>


==Description== ==Description==
They are ] or ] shrubs or trees growing to {{convert|1-18|m|ft|abbr=on}} in height and forming dense thickets. The largest, '']'', is an evergreen tree that can grow to {{convert|18|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall. They usually grow on ],<ref name="fireflyforest"/> tolerating up to 15,000 ppm soluble ], and can also tolerate ] conditions.<ref name="knowhow">{{cite web |last1=Dyer |first1=Mary H. |title=Is Tamarix Invasive: Helpful Tamarix Information |url=https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tamarix/tamarix-information.htm |website=www.gardeningknowhow.com |access-date=22 May 2022}}</ref> They are ] or ] shrubs or trees growing to {{convert|1-18|m|ft|abbr=on|frac=2}} in height and forming dense thickets. The largest, '']'', is an evergreen tree that can grow to {{convert|18|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall. They usually grow on ],<ref name="fireflyforest"/> tolerating up to 15,000 ppm soluble ], and can also tolerate ] conditions.<ref name="knowhow">{{cite web |last1=Dyer |first1=Mary H. |title=Is ''Tamarix'' Invasive: Helpful ''Tamarix'' Information |url=https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tamarix/tamarix-information.htm |website=www.gardeningknowhow.com |date=6 May 2016 |access-date=22 May 2022 |archive-date=29 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129170507/https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tamarix/tamarix-information.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>


Tamarisks are characterized by slender branches and grey-green foliage. The bark of young branches is smooth and reddish brown. As the plants age, the bark becomes gray-brown, ridged and furrowed.<ref name="fireflyforest"/> Tamarisks are characterized by slender branches and grey-green foliage. The bark of young branches is smooth and reddish brown. As the plants age, the bark becomes gray-brown, ridged and furrowed.<ref name="fireflyforest"/>


The ] are scale-like, almost like that of junipers,<ref>{{ Citation | last=Dirr| first=Michael A. | title=Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs, an illustrated encyclopedia | year=1997| page=392}}.</ref> 1–2&nbsp;mm (1/20" to 1/10") long, and overlap each other along the stem. They are often encrusted with salt secretions.<ref name="fireflyforest"/> The leaves are scale-like, almost like that of junipers,<ref>{{ Citation |last=Dirr| first=Michael A. |title=Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs, an illustrated encyclopedia |year=1997| page=392}}.</ref> 1–2&nbsp;mm (1/20" to 1/10") long, and overlap each other along the stem. They are often encrusted with salt secretions.<ref name="fireflyforest"/>


The pink to white ]s appear in dense ] on 5–10&nbsp;cm (2" to 4") long spikes at branch tips from March to September,<ref name="fireflyforest">{{cite web |title=Tamarix spp. - Tamarisk, Saltcedar, Salt Cedar - Southeastern Arizona Wildflowers and Plants |url=https://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/2434/tamarix-spp-tamarisk/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=TAMARISK |url=https://www.southernliving.com/plants/tamarisk |website=Southern Living |access-date=22 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref> though some species (e.g., ''T. aphylla'') tend to flower in the summer till as late as November.<ref>{{cite web |title=Plants of the Bible {{!}} Tamarix aphylla |url=http://www.flowersinisrael.com/Tamarixaphylla_page.htm |website=www.flowersinisrael.com |access-date=22 May 2022}}</ref> The pink to white ]s appear in dense ] on 5–10&nbsp;cm (2" to 4") long spikes at branch tips from March to September,<ref name="fireflyforest">{{cite web |title=''Tamarix'' spp. - Tamarisk, Saltcedar, Salt Cedar - Southeastern Arizona Wildflowers and Plants |date=16 March 2010 |url=https://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/2434/tamarix-spp-tamarisk/ |access-date=2022-05-22 |archive-date=2022-05-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523230239/https://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/2434/tamarix-spp-tamarisk/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=TAMARISK |url=https://www.southernliving.com/plants/tamarisk |website=Southern Living |access-date=22 May 2022 |language=en |archive-date=16 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516183940/https://www.southernliving.com/plants/tamarisk |url-status=live }}</ref> though some species (e.g., ''T. aphylla'') tend to flower in the summer until as late as November.<ref>{{cite web |title=Plants of the Bible {{!}} ''Tamarix aphylla'' |url=http://www.flowersinisrael.com/Tamarixaphylla_page.htm |website=www.flowersinisrael.com |access-date=22 May 2022 |archive-date=30 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130062427/http://www.flowersinisrael.com/Tamarixaphylla_page.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>


== Selected species ==
==Ecology==
''Tamarix aphylla'' can spread both ], by submerged stems producing ] roots, and sexually, by ]s. Each flower can produce thousands of tiny (1&nbsp;mm; 1/20" diameter) seeds that are contained in a small capsule usually adorned with a tuft of hair that aids in wind dispersal. Seeds can also be dispersed by water. Seedlings require extended periods of soil saturation for establishment.<ref name=texasinvasives>{{cite web|url=https://www.texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=TAAP|website=Texas Invasive |title=Invasives Database: Invasive Plants, ''Tamarix aphylla'', Athel tamarisk}}</ref> Tamarisk trees are most often propagated by ].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Huxley |first1=A. |title=The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening |date=1992 |publisher=MacMillan Press |location=London |isbn=0-333-47494-5}}</ref>

These trees grow in disturbed and undisturbed streams, waterways, bottom lands, banks, and drainage washes of natural or artificial water bodies, moist rangelands and pastures.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

It is unclear if ''Tamarix'' species are fire-adapted, but in many cases a large proportion of the trees are able to resprout from the stump after fires, although not notably more so than other riverine species. They likely cannot resprout from root suckers. In some habitats where they are native, ] appears to favour the establishment of riverine trees such as '']'', to the detriment of ''Tamarix''. Conversely, they do appear to be more flammable, with more dead wood produced and debris held aloft. In the southwestern USA, most stands studied appear to be burning at faster intervals than they can fully mature and die of natural causes.<ref name=Zouhar2003>Zouhar, Kris. 2003. In: Fire Effects Information System, . U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.</ref>

''Tamarix'' species are used as food plants by the ]e of some ] species including '']'' which feeds exclusively on ''T. africana''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/gelechioidea/coleophoridae/coleophora/coleophora-asthenella/ |title=''Coleophora asthenella'' |access-date=12 August 2020 |website=Plant Parasites of Europe}}</ref>

==Uses==
* Tamarisk species are used as ornamental shrubs, windbreaks, and shade trees:<ref>{{cite web |title=Invasive Species Profile: Tamarisk |url=https://cirweb.org/blog/2018/7/3/invasive-species-profile-tamarisk |website=Channel Islands Restoration |access-date=31 May 2021}}</ref> notably ]<ref name="Zouhar2003"/> and ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Tamarisk Shrub |url=https://www.best4hedging.co.uk/tamarisk-hedge-plants-p184 |website=www.best4hedging.co.uk |access-date=31 May 2021}}</ref>
* In the American Southwest, Tamarisk was introduced to help erosion control.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Everitt |first1=Benjamin |title=Chronology of the spread of tamarisk in the central Rio Grande |journal=Wetlands |date=1998 |volume=18 |issue=4 |pages=658–668 |doi=10.1007/BF03161680}}</ref>
* The wood was used by the ] (combined with wood and ibex horn) to produce tremendously powerful bows hundreds of years before the common era.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Karpowicz |first1=Adam |last2=Selby |first2=Stephen |date=2010 |title=Scythian Bow From Xinjang |journal=Journal of the Soc. Of Archer-Antiquaries |volume=53 |url=http://www.atarn.org/chinese/Yanghai/Scythian_bow_ATARN.pdf}}</ref>
* The wood may be used for carpentry or firewood: it is a possible ] species<ref>, in Ecocrop.</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Abigail Klein Leichman |date=November 7, 2011 |title=Growing forests in the desert |website=israel21c.org |url=http://israel21c.org/environment/growing-forests-in-the-desert}}</ref>
* At certain times of year, ] feeding upon the tender twigs of tamarisk plants excrete a sweet substance known as honeydew, which has been gathered for use as a food source and sweetener for thousands of years. The substance is also known locally as manna, and some scholars have suggested that this substance is the biblical ] that fed the Israelites during their flight from Egypt, though others dispute this interpretation<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bodenheimer |first1=F.S. |date=Feb 1947 |title=The Manna of Sinai |journal=The Biblical Archaeologist |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=2–6 |doi=10.2307/3209227 |jstor=3209227 |s2cid=165249625 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3209227}}</ref>
* Plans are being made for the tamarisk to play a role in anti] programs in ]<ref>.</ref><ref>.</ref>

==Invasive species==
In some specific ] ]s in the ] and ], '']'' has ] and become an important ].<ref name=Zouhar2003/> In other areas, the plants form dense monocultures that alter the natural environment and compete with native species already stressed by human activity.<ref name="Impact, Biology, and Ecology of Sal">{{cite journal |last1=Di Tomaso |first1=Joseph |title=Impact, Biology, and Ecology of Saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) in the Southwestern United States |journal=Weed Technology |date=1998 |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=326–336 |doi=10.1017/S0890037X00043906}}</ref> Recent scientific investigations have generally concluded that the primary human-caused impact to desert riparian ecosystems within the ] is the alteration of the flood regime by dams; ''Tamarix ramosissima'' is relatively tolerant of this hydrologic alteration compared to flood-dependent native woody riparian species such as ], ], and ].<ref name=Wolf2016>{{cite web |author=Wolf, E. |date=June 6, 2016 |url=https://watershed.ucdavis.edu/education/classes/files/content/flogs/Wolf2016_Tamarix.pdf |title=Science driving a new management strategy for ''Tamarix''}}</ref>

===Competition with native plants===
Research on competition between tamarisk seedlings and co-occurring native trees has found that ''Tamarix'' seedlings are not competitive over a range of environments,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sher |first1=Anna A.|author1-link=Anna Sher |last2=Marshall |first2=Diane L. |last3=Gilbert |first3=Steven A. |year=2000 |title=Competition between native Populus deltoides and invasive Tamarix ramosissima and the implications of reestablishing flooding disturbance |journal=Conservation Biology |volume=14 |issue=6 |pages=1744–1754 |doi=10.1046/j.1523-1739.2000.99306.x}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sher |first1=A.A. |last2=Marshall |first2=D.L. |last3=Taylor |first3=J.P. |date=June 2002 |title=Establishment patterns of native ''Populus'' and ''Salix'' in the presence of invasive, non-native ''Tamarix'' |journal=Ecological Applications |volume=12 |issue=3 |pages=760–772 |doi=10.1890/1051-0761(2002)0122.0.co;2}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sher |title=Competition between native and exotic floodplain tree species across water regimes and soil textures |journal=American Journal of Botany|volume=90| year=2003| pages=413–422 |doi=10.3732/ajb.90.3.413 |pmid=21659134 |first1=A. A. |last2=Marshall |first2=D. L. |issue=3| doi-access=free}}</ref> but stands of mature trees effectively prevent native species' establishment in the ], due to low light, elevated salinity, and possibly changes to the ].<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Mechanisms associated with decline of woody species in riparian ecosystems of the southwestern U.S |journal=Ecological Monographs |volume=65| year=1995| pages=347–370 |doi=10.2307/2937064 |author1=Busch, David E. |author2=Smith, Stanley D. |issue=3 |jstor=2937064}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Taylor |first1=J. |last2=McDaniel |first2=K. |title=Restoration of saltcedar (Tamarix spp.)-infested floodplains on the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge |journal=Weed Technology |date=1998 |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=345–352 |doi= 10.1017/S0890037X0004392X}}</ref> Box elder ('']'', a native riparian tree) seedlings survive and grow under higher-shade conditions than ''Tamarix'' seedlings, and mature ''Tamarix'' specimens die after 1–2 years of 98% shade, indicating a pathway for successional replacement of ''Tamarix'' by box elder.<ref>{{Cite journal| last1=Dewine| first1=J. M.| last2=Cooper| first2=D. J.| date=April 2008| title=Canopy shade and the successional replacement of tamarisk by native box elder| journal=Journal of Applied Ecology| volume=45| issue=2 | pages=505–514| doi=10.1111/j.1365-2664.2007.01440.x| issn=1365-2664| doi-access=free}}</ref> Anthropogenic activities that preferentially favor tamarisk (such as changes to flooding regimens) are associated with infestation.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Shafroth |first1=Patrick |last2=Stromberg |first2=Juliet |last3=Patten |first3=Duncan |year=2000 |title=Woody riparian vegetation response to different alluvial water table regimes |journal=Western North American Naturalist |volume=60 |pages=66–76 |url=https://www.rosemonteis.us/files/references/048768.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Merritt |first1=David M. |last2=Cooper |first2=David J. |year=2000 |title=Riparian vegetation and channel change in response to river regulation: A comparative study of regulated and unregulated streams in the Green River Basin, USA |journal=Regulated Rivers: Research and Management |volume=16 |issue=6 |pages=543–564 |doi=10.1002/1099-1646(200011/12)16:6<543::AID-RRR590>3.0.CO;2-N}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Horton |first1=J. L. |last2=Kolb |first2=T. E. |last3=Hart |first3=S. C. |date=2001 |title= Responses of riparian trees to interannual variation in ground water depth in a semi-arid river basin |journal=Plant, Cell and Environment |volume=24 |issue=3 |pages=293–304 |doi=10.1046/j.1365-3040.2001.00681.x |citeseerx= 10.1.1.208.6920}}</ref> To date, ''Tamarix ''has taken over large sections of riparian ecosystems in the western United States that were once home to native cottonwoods and willows,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Christensen|first=E. M. |title=The Rate of Naturalization of Tamarix in Utah |journal=American Midland Naturalist |year=1962 |volume=68 |issue=1 |pages=51–57 |doi=10.2307/2422635 |jstor=2422635}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Stromberg|first=J. C. |title=Dynamics of Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii) and saltcedar (Tamarix chinesis) populations along the San Pedro River, Arizona |journal=Journal of Arid Environments |year=1998|volume=40 |issue=2|pages=133–155 |doi=10.1006/jare.1998.0438 |bibcode=1998JArEn..40..133S}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |display-authors=4 |vauthors=Zamora-Arroyo F, Nagler PL, Briggs M, Radtke D, Rodriquez H, Garcia J, Valdes C, Huete A, Glenn EP |year=2001 |title=Regeneration of native trees in response to flood releases from the United States into the delta of the Colorado River, Mexico |journal=Journal of Arid Environments |volume=49 |issue=1 |pages=49–64 |doi=10.1006/jare.2001.0835 |bibcode=2001JArEn..49...49Z}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Zavaleta |first=E. |date=December 2000 |title=The economic value of controlling an invasive shrub |journal=Ambio: A Journal of the Human Environment |volume=29 |issue=8 |pages=462–467 |doi=10.1639/0044-7447(2000)0292.0.co;2}}</ref> and are projected by some to spread well beyond the current range.<ref>{{cite journal |display-authors=4 |vauthors=Morisette JT, Jarnevich CS, Ullah A, Cai W, Pedelty JA, Gentle JE, Stohlgren TJ, Schnase JL |date=2006 |title=A tamarisk habitat suitability map for the continental United States |journal=Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=11–17 |doi=10.1890/1540-9295(2006)0042.0.CO;2}}</ref>

In a 2013 study which examined if native plant growth was hindered by the ] associated with the presence of ''Tamarix'', a relatively new ] to the northern United States, '']'' and other native plants in fact grew better when a small soil sample from areas where ''Tamarix'' trees grew was mixed in with the potting soil, as opposed to samples without these plants. This was thought to indicate the presence of beneficial ]. The presence of ''Tamarix'' plants has also been shown to boost soil fertility in a number of studies, and it also increases soil salinity. Two studies found that ''Tamarix'' plants are able to limit the recruitment of '']'' and '']'' tree species, in the latter case possibly due to interfering with the trees ability to form symbiotic relationships with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, in contrast to the grass and legume species studied in 2013.<ref name=Lenhoff>{{cite journal |vauthors=Lenhoff EA, Menalled FD |year=2013 |title=Impacts of ''Tamarix''-mediated soil changes on restoration plant growth |journal=Applied Vegetation Science |volume=16 |issue=3 |pages=438–447 |doi=10.1111/avsc.12011 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264336484}}</ref>

Because it is much more efficient at both obtaining water from drying soil and conserving water during drought, it can outcompete many native species, especially after the habitat is altered by controlling flood regimes and disturbance of water sources.<ref name="Impact, Biology, and Ecology of Sal"/> Because the trees are able to concentrate salts on the outside of their leaves, dense stands of the tree will form a layer of high salinity on the topsoil as the leaves are shed.<ref name="Impact, Biology, and Ecology of Sal"/> Although this layer is easily washed off during flooding events, in areas where the rivers are channelled and floods are controlled, this salty layer inhibits the ] of a number of native plants.<ref name=Zouhar2003/> However, a study involving more than a thousand soil samples across gradients of both flood frequency and ''Tamarix'' density concluded that "flooding may be the most important factor for assessing floodplain salinity" and "soils under ''Tamarix'' canopies had lower surface soil salinity than open areas deprived of flooding suggesting that surface evaporation may contribute more to surface soil salinity than ''Tamarix''".<ref name=Ohrtman2009>{{cite journal |author=Ohrtman, M. |date=2009 |url=http://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/485/ |title=Quantifying soil and groundwater chemistry in areas invaded by ''Tamarix'' spp. along the Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico|journal=Electronic Theses and Dissertations }}</ref>

===Investigation of effects of invasion===
''Tamarix'' species are commonly believed to disrupt the structure and stability of North American native plant communities and degrade native wildlife habitat, by outcompeting and replacing native plant species, salinizing soils, monopolizing limited sources of moisture, and increasing the frequency, intensity, and effect of fires and floods {{citation needed|date=October 2021}}. While individual plants may not consume larger quantities of water than native species,<ref>{{cite journal |last=Anderson| first=B. W. |title=Salt cedar, revegetation and riparian ecosystems in the Southwest |journal=Proceedings of the California Exotic Pest Plant Council, Symposium '95. California Exotic Pest Plant Council, Pacific Grove, California |year=1996| pages=32–41}}.</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Anderson| first=B. W. |title=The case for salt cedar |journal=Restoration and Management Notes |year=1998| volume=16| pages=130–134, 138}}</ref> large, dense stands of tamarisk do consume more water than equivalent stands of native ].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sala |first1=Anna |last2=Smith |first2=Stanley D. |last3=Devitt |first3=Dale A. |date=August 1996 |title=Water Use by Tamarix Ramosissima and Associated Phreatophytes in a Mojave Desert Floodplain |journal=Ecological Applications |volume=6 |issue=3 |pages=888–898 |doi=10.2307/2269492 |jstor=2269492 }}</ref> An active and ongoing debate exists as to when the tamarisk can out-compete native plants, and if it is actively displacing native plants or it just taking advantage of disturbance by removal of natives by humans and changes in flood regimens.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cooper |first1=D. |year=1999 |title=Factors Controlling the Establishment of Fremont Cottonwood Seedlings on the Upper Green River, USA |journal=Regulated Rivers: Research & Management |volume=15 |issue=5 |pages=419–440 |doi=10.1002/(SICI)1099-1646(199909/10)15:5<419::AID-RRR555>3.0.CO;2-Y |last2=Merritt |first2=David M. |last3=Andersen |first3=Douglas C. |last4=Chimner |first4=Rodney A. |citeseerx=10.1.1.208.7367}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cooper |first1=D. |title=Multiple pathways for woody plant establishment on floodplains at local to regional scales |journal=Journal of Ecology |year=2003 |volume=91 |issue=2 |pages=182–196 |doi=10.1046/j.1365-2745.2003.00766.x |last2=Andersen |first2=Douglas C. |last3=Chimner |first3=Rodney A. |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Everitt| first=B. L. |title=Ecology of saltcedar - a plea for research |journal=Environmental Geology |year=1980 |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=77–84 |doi=10.1007/BF02473474| bibcode=1980EnGeo...3...77E |s2cid=128624735}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Everitt| first=B. L. |title=Chronology of the spread of Tamarisk in the central Rio Grande |journal=Wetlands |year=1998 |volume=18 |issue=4 |pages=658–668| doi=10.1007/BF03161680 |s2cid=33405892}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Stromberg| first=J. C. |title=Functional equivalency of saltcedar (Tamarix chinensis) and Fremont cottonwood (''Populus fremontii'') along a free-flowing river |journal=Wetlands |volume=18 |year=1998 |issue=4 |pages=675–686 |doi=10.1007/BF03161682 |s2cid=6443419}}</ref>

===Controls===
Pest populations of tamarisk in the United States can be dealt with in several ways. The ] has used the methods of physically removing the plants, spraying them with ]s, and introducing northern tamarisk beetles ('']'') in the national park system. Various attempts to control tamarisk have been implemented on federal lands including ], ], and ].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Adams |first1=Aaron |title=Treating Invasive Tamarisk as an Intern at San Andres National Wildlife Refuge |journal=The ] |date=2021 |volume=62 |issue=2 |pages=101–103 |url=https://gammathetaupsilon.org/the-geographical-bulletin/2020s/volume62-2/B/article3.pdf |access-date=23 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |title=Our newest weed warriors |date=8 January 2009 |department=], ] |publisher=U.S. ] |url=http://www.nps.gov/dino/planyourvisit/upload/2009BeetleWeb.pdf}} — describes saltcedar controls, incl. 2006–2007 release of tamarisk beetles into Dinosaur National Monument.</ref> After years of study, the USDA ] found that the introduced tamarisk beetles eat only the tamarisk, and starve when no more tamarisk is available, not eating any other plants native to North America.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Tracy |first1=J.L. |last2=Robbins |first2=T.O. |year=2009 |title=Taxonomic revision and biogeography of the ''Tamarix''-feeding ''Diorhabda elongata'' {{small|(Brullé, 1832)}} species group (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Galerucini) and analysis of their potential in biological control of Tamarisk |url=http://www.mapress.com./zootaxa/2009/f/zt02101p152.pdf |journal=Zootaxa |volume=2101 |pages=1–152 |doi=10.11646/zootaxa.2101.1.1}}</ref>

==Selected species==
] ]
]'' specimen in its natural habitat in ]]] ]'' specimen in its natural habitat in ]]]
] Village, ], ]]] ]'' in ] village, ], ]]]
{{Div col|colwidth=20em}} {{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
*'']'' <small>Poir.</small> *'']'' <small>Poir.</small>
Line 75: Line 42:
*'']'' <small>L.</small> *'']'' <small>L.</small>
*'']'' *'']''
*'']'' <small>Zohary</small>
*'']'' <small>Willd.</small> *'']'' <small>Willd.</small>
*'']'' *'']''
Line 84: Line 52:
*'']'' <small>Bunge</small> *'']'' <small>Bunge</small>
*'']'' <small>Willd.</small> *'']'' <small>Willd.</small>
*'']''
*'']'' *'']''
*'']'' <small>(]) ]</small> *'']'' <small>(]) ]</small>
Line 91: Line 60:
*'']'' <small>DC.</small> *'']'' <small>DC.</small>
*'']'' <small>Ledeb.</small> *'']'' <small>Ledeb.</small>
*'']
*'']'' *'']''
*'']'' <small>DC.</small> *'']'' <small>DC.</small>
Line 100: Line 70:
**''Tamarix tetragyna'' var. ''meyeri'' <small>(Boiss.) Boiss.</small> (=''T. meyeri'') **''Tamarix tetragyna'' var. ''meyeri'' <small>(Boiss.) Boiss.</small> (=''T. meyeri'')
**''Tamarix tetragyna'' var. ''tetragyna'' **''Tamarix tetragyna'' var. ''tetragyna''
*'']'' <small>Pall. ex M.Bieb.</small><ref name="GRINSpecies">{{cite web |url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?11855 |title=GRIN Species Records of ''Tamarix'' |work=Germplasm Resources Information Network |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |access-date=2011-02-18}}</ref> *'']'' <small>Pall. ex M.Bieb.</small><ref name="GRINSpecies">{{cite web |url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?11855 |title=GRIN Species Records of ''Tamarix'' |work=Germplasm Resources Information Network |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |access-date=2011-02-18 |archive-date=2015-09-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924075427/http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?11855 |url-status=live }}</ref>
*'']'' <small>E.Mey. ex Bunge</small> *'']'' <small>E.Mey. ex Bunge</small>
{{div col end}} {{div col end}}


===Formerly placed here=== ===Formerly placed here===
*'']'' <small>(L.) Desv.</small> (as ''T. germanica'' <small>L.</small>)<ref name="GRINSpecies"/> *'']'' <small>(L.) Desv.</small> (as ''T. germanica'' <small>L.</small>)<ref name="GRINSpecies" />


== Ecology ==
==Tamarisk in North America==
''Tamarix aphylla'' can spread both ], by submerged stems producing ] roots, and sexually, by ]s. Each flower can produce thousands of tiny (1&nbsp;mm; 1/20" diameter) seeds that are contained in a small capsule usually adorned with a tuft of hair that aids in wind dispersal. Seeds can also be dispersed by water. Seedlings require extended periods of soil saturation for establishment.<ref name=texasinvasives>{{cite web |url=https://www.texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=TAAP |website=Texas Invasive |title=Invasives Database: Invasive Plants, ''Tamarix aphylla'', Athel tamarisk |access-date=2017-12-22 |archive-date=2017-08-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804235212/http://www.texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=TAAP |url-status=live }}</ref> Tamarisk trees are most often propagated by ].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Huxley |first1=A. |title=The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening |date=1992 |publisher=MacMillan Press |location=London |isbn=0-333-47494-5}}</ref>
The tamarisk was introduced to the United States as an ] shrub, a ], and a shade tree in the early 19th century. In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, tree-planting was used as a tool to fight ] on the Great Plains, and different trees were planted by the millions in the ], including salt cedars.<ref>{{cite news |first= Kirk|last= Johnson|title=War With Riverbank Invader, Waged by Muscle and Munching |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/27/us/27tamarisk.html?hp |work=] |date=December 26, 2008 |access-date=2008-12-27 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/profile/saltcedar|title=Saltcedar_USDA National Agricultural Library}}</ref>

These trees grow in disturbed and undisturbed streams, waterways, bottom lands, banks, and drainage washes of natural or artificial water bodies, moist rangelands and pastures.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

Whether ''Tamarix'' species are fire-adapted or not is unclear, but in many cases a large proportion of the trees are able to resprout from the stump after fires, although not notably more so than other riverine species. They likely cannot resprout from root suckers. In some habitats where they are native, ] appears to favour the establishment of riverine trees such as '']'', to the detriment of ''Tamarix''. Conversely, they do appear to be more flammable, with more dead wood produced and debris held aloft. In the southwestern USA, most stands studied appear to be burning at faster intervals than they can fully mature and die of natural causes.<ref name=Zouhar2003>Zouhar, Kris. 2003. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320090103/https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/tamspp/all.html |date=2021-03-20 }} In: Fire Effects Information System, . U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.</ref>

''Tamarix'' species are used as food plants by the ]e of some ] species including '']'' which feeds exclusively on ''T. africana''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/gelechioidea/coleophoridae/coleophora/coleophora-asthenella/ |title=''Coleophora asthenella'' |access-date=12 August 2020 |website=Plant Parasites of Europe |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126030440/https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/gelechioidea/coleophoridae/coleophora/coleophora-asthenella/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== As an invasive species ===
In some specific ] ]s in the ] and ], '']'' has ] and become a significant ].<ref name="Zouhar2003" /> In other areas, the plants form dense monocultures that alter the natural environment and compete with native species already stressed by human activity.<ref name="Impact, Biology, and Ecology of Sal">{{cite journal |last1=Di Tomaso |first1=Joseph |date=1998 |title=Impact, Biology, and Ecology of Saltcedar (''Tamarix'' spp.) in the Southwestern United States |journal=Weed Technology |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=326–336 |doi=10.1017/S0890037X00043906 |s2cid=251573113}}</ref> Recent scientific investigations have generally concluded that the primary human-caused impact to desert riparian ecosystems within the ] is the alteration of the flood regime by dams; ''Tamarix ramosissima'' is relatively tolerant of this hydrologic alteration compared to flood-dependent native woody riparian species such as ], ], and ].<ref name="Wolf2016">{{cite web |author=Wolf, E. |date=June 6, 2016 |title=Science driving a new management strategy for ''Tamarix'' |url=https://cwseducation.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk9956/files/classes/files/Science%20driving%20a%20new%20management%20strategy%20for%20Tamarix.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028164455/https://watershed.ucdavis.edu/education/classes/files/content/flogs/Wolf2016_Tamarix.pdf |archive-date=October 28, 2021 |access-date=October 12, 2021}}</ref>

==== Competition with native plants ====
Research on competition between tamarisk seedlings and co-occurring native trees has found that ''Tamarix'' seedlings are not competitive over a range of environments,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sher |first1=Anna A. |author1-link=Anna Sher |last2=Marshall |first2=Diane L. |last3=Gilbert |first3=Steven A. |year=2000 |title=Competition between native ''Populus deltoides'' and invasive ''Tamarix ramosissima'' and the implications of reestablishing flooding disturbance |journal=Conservation Biology |volume=14 |issue=6 |pages=1744–1754 |bibcode=2000ConBi..14.1744S |doi=10.1111/j.1523-1739.2000.99306.x |pmid=35701936}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sher |first1=A.A. |last2=Marshall |first2=D.L. |last3=Taylor |first3=J.P. |date=June 2002 |title=Establishment patterns of native ''Populus'' and ''Salix'' in the presence of invasive, non-native ''Tamarix'' |journal=Ecological Applications |volume=12 |issue=3 |pages=760–772 |doi=10.1890/1051-0761(2002)0122.0.co;2}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sher |first1=A. A. |last2=Marshall |first2=D. L. |year=2003 |title=Competition between native and exotic floodplain tree species across water regimes and soil textures |journal=American Journal of Botany |volume=90 |issue=3 |pages=413–422 |doi=10.3732/ajb.90.3.413 |pmid=21659134 |doi-access=free}}</ref> but stands of mature trees effectively prevent native species' establishment in the ], due to low light, elevated salinity, and possibly changes to the ].<ref>{{Cite journal |author1=Busch, David E. |author2=Smith, Stanley D. |year=1995 |title=Mechanisms associated with decline of woody species in riparian ecosystems of the southwestern U.S |journal=Ecological Monographs |volume=65 |issue=3 |pages=347–370 |bibcode=1995EcoM...65..347B |doi=10.2307/2937064 |jstor=2937064}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Taylor |first1=J. |last2=McDaniel |first2=K. |date=1998 |title=Restoration of saltcedar (''Tamarix'' spp.)-infested floodplains on the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge |journal=Weed Technology |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=345–352 |doi=10.1017/S0890037X0004392X |s2cid=88903153}}</ref> Box elder ('']'', a native riparian tree) seedlings survive and grow under higher-shade conditions than ''Tamarix'' seedlings, and mature ''Tamarix'' specimens die after 1–2 years of 98% shade, indicating a pathway for successional replacement of ''Tamarix'' by box elder.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Dewine |first1=J. M. |last2=Cooper |first2=D. J. |date=April 2008 |title=Canopy shade and the successional replacement of tamarisk by native box elder |journal=Journal of Applied Ecology |volume=45 |issue=2 |pages=505–514 |bibcode=2008JApEc..45..505D |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2664.2007.01440.x |issn=1365-2664 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Anthropogenic activities that preferentially favor tamarisk (such as changes to flooding regimens) are associated with infestation.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Shafroth |first1=Patrick |last2=Stromberg |first2=Juliet |last3=Patten |first3=Duncan |year=2000 |title=Woody riparian vegetation response to different alluvial water table regimes |url=https://www.rosemonteis.us/files/references/048768.pdf |url-status=live |journal=Western North American Naturalist |volume=60 |pages=66–76 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920181303/https://www.rosemonteis.us/files/references/048768.pdf |archive-date=2021-09-20 |access-date=2021-03-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Merritt |first1=David M. |last2=Cooper |first2=David J. |year=2000 |title=Riparian vegetation and channel change in response to river regulation: A comparative study of regulated and unregulated streams in the Green River Basin, USA |journal=Regulated Rivers: Research and Management |volume=16 |issue=6 |pages=543–564 |doi=10.1002/1099-1646(200011/12)16:6<543::AID-RRR590>3.0.CO;2-N}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Horton |first1=J. L. |last2=Kolb |first2=T. E. |last3=Hart |first3=S. C. |date=2001 |title=Responses of riparian trees to interannual variation in ground water depth in a semi-arid river basin |journal=Plant, Cell and Environment |volume=24 |issue=3 |pages=293–304 |citeseerx=10.1.1.208.6920 |doi=10.1046/j.1365-3040.2001.00681.x|bibcode=2001PCEnv..24..293H }}</ref> To date, ''Tamarix'' has taken over large sections of riparian ecosystems in the western United States that were once home to native cottonwoods and willows,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Christensen |first=E. M. |year=1962 |title=The Rate of Naturalization of ''Tamarix'' in Utah |journal=American Midland Naturalist |volume=68 |issue=1 |pages=51–57 |doi=10.2307/2422635 |jstor=2422635}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Stromberg |first=J. C. |year=1998 |title=Dynamics of Fremont cottonwood (''Populus fremontii'') and saltcedar (''Tamarix'' chinesis) populations along the San Pedro River, Arizona |journal=Journal of Arid Environments |volume=40 |issue=2 |pages=133–155 |bibcode=1998JArEn..40..133S |doi=10.1006/jare.1998.0438}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |display-authors=4 |vauthors=Zamora-Arroyo F, Nagler PL, Briggs M, Radtke D, Rodriquez H, Garcia J, Valdes C, Huete A, Glenn EP |year=2001 |title=Regeneration of native trees in response to flood releases from the United States into the delta of the Colorado River, Mexico |journal=Journal of Arid Environments |volume=49 |issue=1 |pages=49–64 |bibcode=2001JArEn..49...49Z |doi=10.1006/jare.2001.0835}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Zavaleta |first=E. |date=December 2000 |title=The economic value of controlling an invasive shrub |journal=Ambio: A Journal of the Human Environment |volume=29 |issue=8 |pages=462–467 |doi=10.1639/0044-7447(2000)0292.0.co;2}}</ref> and are projected by some to spread well beyond the current range.<ref>{{cite journal |display-authors=4 |vauthors=Morisette JT, Jarnevich CS, Ullah A, Cai W, Pedelty JA, Gentle JE, Stohlgren TJ, Schnase JL |date=2006 |title=A tamarisk habitat suitability map for the continental United States |journal=Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=11–17 |doi=10.1890/1540-9295(2006)0042.0.CO;2}}</ref>

In a 2013 study which examined if native plant growth was hindered by the ] associated with the presence of ''Tamarix'', a relatively new ] to the northern United States, '']'' and other native plants in fact grew better when a small soil sample from areas where ''Tamarix'' trees grew was mixed in with the potting soil, as opposed to samples without these plants. This was thought to indicate the presence of beneficial ]. The presence of ''Tamarix'' plants has also been shown to boost soil fertility in a number of studies, and it also increases soil salinity. Two studies found that ''Tamarix'' plants are able to limit the recruitment of '']'' and '']'' tree species, in the latter case possibly due to interfering with the trees ability to form symbiotic relationships with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, in contrast to the grass and legume species studied in 2013.<ref name="Lenhoff">{{cite journal |vauthors=Lenhoff EA, Menalled FD |year=2013 |title=Impacts of ''Tamarix''-mediated soil changes on restoration plant growth |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264336484 |journal=Applied Vegetation Science |volume=16 |issue=3 |pages=438–447 |bibcode=2013AppVS..16..438L |doi=10.1111/avsc.12011}}</ref>

Because it is much more efficient at both obtaining water from drying soil and conserving water during drought, it can outcompete many native species, especially after the habitat is altered by controlling flood regimes and disturbance of water sources.<ref name="Impact, Biology, and Ecology of Sal" /> Because the trees are able to concentrate salts on the outside of their leaves, dense stands of the tree will form a layer of high salinity on the topsoil as the leaves are shed.<ref name="Impact, Biology, and Ecology of Sal" /> Although this layer is easily washed off during flooding events, in areas where the rivers are channelled and floods are controlled, this salty layer inhibits the ] of a number of native plants.<ref name="Zouhar2003" /> However, a study involving more than a thousand soil samples across gradients of both flood frequency and ''Tamarix'' density concluded that "flooding may be the most important factor for assessing floodplain salinity" and "soils under ''Tamarix'' canopies had lower surface soil salinity than open areas deprived of flooding suggesting that surface evaporation may contribute more to surface soil salinity than ''Tamarix''".<ref name="Ohrtman2009">{{cite thesis |author=Ohrtman, M. |title=Quantifying soil and groundwater chemistry in areas invaded by ''Tamarix'' spp. along the Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico |date=2009 |access-date=2021-10-15 |type=PhD dissertation |publisher=University of Denver |url=http://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/485/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022225745/https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/485/ |archive-date=2021-10-22 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Investigation of effects of invasion ====
''Tamarix'' species are commonly believed to disrupt the structure and stability of North American native plant communities and degrade native wildlife habitat, by outcompeting and replacing native plant species, salinizing soils, monopolizing limited sources of moisture, and increasing the frequency, intensity, and effect of fires and floods {{citation needed|date=October 2021}}. While individual plants may not consume larger quantities of water than native species,<ref>{{cite journal |last=Anderson |first=B. W. |year=1996 |title=Salt cedar, revegetation and riparian ecosystems in the Southwest |journal=Proceedings of the California Exotic Pest Plant Council, Symposium '95. California Exotic Pest Plant Council, Pacific Grove, California |pages=32–41}}.</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Anderson |first=B. W. |year=1998 |title=The case for salt cedar |journal=Restoration and Management Notes |volume=16 |pages=130–134, 138}}</ref> large, dense stands of tamarisk do consume more water than equivalent stands of native ].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sala |first1=Anna |last2=Smith |first2=Stanley D. |last3=Devitt |first3=Dale A. |date=August 1996 |title=Water Use by ''Tamarix ramosissima'' and Associated Phreatophytes in a Mojave Desert Floodplain |journal=Ecological Applications |volume=6 |issue=3 |pages=888–898 |bibcode=1996EcoAp...6..888S |doi=10.2307/2269492 |jstor=2269492}}</ref> An active and ongoing debate exists as to when the tamarisk can out-compete native plants, and if it is actively displacing native plants or it just taking advantage of disturbance by removal of natives by humans and changes in flood regimens.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cooper |first1=D. |last2=Merritt |first2=David M. |last3=Andersen |first3=Douglas C. |last4=Chimner |first4=Rodney A. |year=1999 |title=Factors Controlling the Establishment of Fremont Cottonwood Seedlings on the Upper Green River, USA |journal=Regulated Rivers: Research & Management |volume=15 |issue=5 |pages=419–440 |citeseerx=10.1.1.208.7367 |doi=10.1002/(SICI)1099-1646(199909/10)15:5<419::AID-RRR555>3.0.CO;2-Y}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cooper |first1=D. |last2=Andersen |first2=Douglas C. |last3=Chimner |first3=Rodney A. |year=2003 |title=Multiple pathways for woody plant establishment on floodplains at local to regional scales |journal=Journal of Ecology |volume=91 |issue=2 |pages=182–196 |bibcode=2003JEcol..91..182C |doi=10.1046/j.1365-2745.2003.00766.x |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Everitt |first=B. L. |year=1980 |title=Ecology of saltcedar - a plea for research |journal=Environmental Geology |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=77–84 |bibcode=1980EnGeo...3...77E |doi=10.1007/BF02473474 |s2cid=128624735}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Everitt |first=B. L. |year=1998 |title=Chronology of the spread of Tamarisk in the central Rio Grande |journal=Wetlands |volume=18 |issue=4 |pages=658–668 |bibcode=1998Wetl...18..658E |doi=10.1007/BF03161680 |s2cid=33405892}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Stromberg |first=J. C. |year=1998 |title=Functional equivalency of saltcedar (''Tamarix chinensis'') and Fremont cottonwood (''Populus fremontii'') along a free-flowing river |journal=Wetlands |volume=18 |issue=4 |pages=675–686 |bibcode=1998Wetl...18..675S |doi=10.1007/BF03161682 |s2cid=6443419}}</ref>

==== Controls ====
Pest populations of tamarisk in the United States can be dealt with in several ways. The ] has used the methods of physically removing the plants, spraying them with ]s, and introducing northern tamarisk beetles ('']'') in the national park system. Various attempts to control tamarisk have been implemented on federal lands including ], ], and ].<ref name="Adams1">{{cite journal |last1=Adams |first1=Aaron |date=2021 |title=Treating Invasive Tamarisk as an Intern at San Andres National Wildlife Refuge |url=https://gammathetaupsilon.org/the-geographical-bulletin/2020s/volume62-2/B/article3.pdf |url-status=live |journal=The Geographical Bulletin |volume=62 |issue=2 |pages=101–103 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230302193602/https://gammathetaupsilon.org/the-geographical-bulletin/2020s/volume62-2/B/article3.pdf |archive-date=2 March 2023 |access-date=23 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |title=Our newest weed warriors |date=8 January 2009 |publisher=U.S. ] |url=http://www.nps.gov/dino/planyourvisit/upload/2009BeetleWeb.pdf |access-date=31 August 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306111800/https://www.nps.gov/dino/planyourvisit/upload/2009BeetleWeb.pdf |archive-date=6 March 2019 |department=], ]}} — describes saltcedar controls, incl. 2006–2007 release of tamarisk beetles into Dinosaur National Monument.</ref> After years of study, the USDA ] found that the introduced tamarisk beetles ('']'') eat only the tamarisk, and starve when no more is available, not eating any plants native to North America.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Tracy |first1=J.L. |last2=Robbins |first2=T.O. |year=2009 |title=Taxonomic revision and biogeography of the ''Tamarix''-feeding ''Diorhabda elongata'' {{small|(Brullé, 1832)}} species group (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Galerucini) and analysis of their potential in biological control of Tamarisk |url=http://www.mapress.com./zootaxa/2009/f/zt02101p152.pdf |url-status=live |journal=Zootaxa |volume=2101 |pages=1–152 |doi=10.11646/zootaxa.2101.1.1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306100548/http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2009/f/zt02101p152.pdf |archive-date=2012-03-06 |access-date=2010-06-10}}</ref>

==Uses==
*Tamarisk species, notably ]<ref name="Zouhar2003" /> and ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Tamarisk Shrub |url=https://www.best4hedging.co.uk/tamarisk-hedge-plants-p184 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602215656/https://www.best4hedging.co.uk/tamarisk-hedge-plants-p184 |archive-date=2 June 2021 |access-date=31 May 2021 |website=www.best4hedging.co.uk}}</ref> are used as ornamental shrubs, windbreaks, and shade trees:<ref>{{cite web |date=3 July 2018 |title=Invasive Species Profile: Tamarisk |url=https://cirweb.org/blog/2018/7/3/invasive-species-profile-tamarisk |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602214130/https://cirweb.org/blog/2018/7/3/invasive-species-profile-tamarisk |archive-date=2 June 2021 |access-date=31 May 2021 |website=Channel Islands Restoration}}</ref>
*In the Southwest of the United states of America, tamarisk was introduced to help erosion control.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Everitt |first1=Benjamin |date=1998 |title=Chronology of the spread of tamarisk in the central Rio Grande |journal=Wetlands |volume=18 |issue=4 |pages=658–668 |bibcode=1998Wetl...18..658E |doi=10.1007/BF03161680 |s2cid=33405892}}</ref>
*In ] recipes may call for tamarix (salt cedar) – known locally as ]{{cn|date=November 2024}} –  for cooking and eating as a wild green vegetable.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sakelliou |first1=Katerina |title=Salt Cedar Salad - Horta |url=https://katerinaskouzina.com/recipe-items/salt-cedar-salad-horta/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230112032827/https://katerinaskouzina.com/recipe-items/salt-cedar-salad-horta/ |archive-date=12 January 2023 |access-date=12 January 2023 |website=Katerina's Kouzina |quote=Another such plant is the tamarix or salt cedar . The salt cedar is one of the wild edible greens – horta – that we eat in Greece.}}</ref>
*On the steppes of Asia, the ] may have used tamarisk wood (combined with horn) to produce tremendously powerful bows hundreds of years before the common era.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Karpowicz |first1=Adam |last2=Selby |first2=Stephen |date=2010 |title=Scythian Bow From Xinjang |url=http://www.atarn.org/chinese/Yanghai/Scythian_bow_ATARN.pdf |url-status=live |journal=Journal of the Soc. Of Archer-Antiquaries |volume=53 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518165726/http://atarn.org/chinese/Yanghai/Scythian_bow_ATARN.pdf |archive-date=2011-05-18 |access-date=2019-03-01 |quote=The materials used in the construction of the original bows have not been established, however. The wood could be tentatively identified as that of tamarisk, which is available abundantly in the region and is known to have been the material used to make bows in other periods.}}</ref>
*The wood may be used for carpentry or firewood: it is a possible ] species.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215011230/http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/cropView?id=10274|date=2009-02-15}}, in Ecocrop.</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Abigail Klein Leichman |date=November 7, 2011 |title=Growing forests in the desert |url=http://israel21c.org/environment/growing-forests-in-the-desert |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111110101541/http://www.israel21c.org/environment/growing-forests-in-the-desert |archive-date=November 10, 2011 |access-date=November 23, 2011 |website=israel21c.org}}</ref>
*At certain times of year, ] feeding upon the tender twigs of tamarisk plants excrete a sweet substance known as honeydew, which has been gathered for use as a food source and sweetener for thousands of years. The substance is also known locally as "manna", and some scholars have suggested that this substance is the biblical ] that fed the Israelites during ], though others dispute this interpretation.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bodenheimer |first1=F.S. |date=Feb 1947 |title=The Manna of Sinai |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3209227 |url-status=live |journal=The Biblical Archaeologist |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=2–6 |doi=10.2307/3209227 |jstor=3209227 |s2cid=165249625 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118215400/https://www.jstor.org/stable/3209227 |archive-date=2022-01-18 |access-date=2022-01-18}}</ref>
*Tamarisks play a role in anti-] programs in ].<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150517044251/http://www.ambchine.mu/eng/xwdt/t369657.htm|date=2015-05-17}}.</ref>{{failed verification|date=November 2024}}<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081029131108/http://www.asiawaterwire.net/node/466|date=2008-10-29}} - "A green belt of anti-desertification plant species such as Chinese tamarisk, honey tree and sacsaoul, was planted in 2003 all along the 466 km of the road's desert stretch to hold off the sands."</ref>

=== In North America ===
The tamarisk was introduced to the United States as an ] shrub, a ], and a shade tree in the early 19th century. In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, tree-planting was used as a tool to fight ] on the Great Plains, and different trees were planted by the millions in the ], including salt cedars.<ref>{{cite news |first=Kirk |last=Johnson |title=War With Riverbank Invader, Waged by Muscle and Munching |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/27/us/27tamarisk.html?hp |work=] |date=December 26, 2008 |access-date=2008-12-27 |archive-date=2023-03-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230302193627/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/27/us/27tamarisk.html?hp |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/profile/saltcedar |title=Saltcedar_USDA National Agricultural Library |access-date=2019-08-21 |archive-date=2019-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190821110235/https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/profile/saltcedar |url-status=live }}</ref>


Eight species are found in North America. They can be divided into two subgroups:<ref name=texasinvasives/> Eight species are found in North America. They can be divided into two subgroups:<ref name=texasinvasives/>


; Evergreen species ; Evergreen species
''Tamarix aphylla'' (Athel tree), a large evergreen tree, does not sexually reproduce in the local climate and is not considered a seriously invasive species.<ref name=texasinvasives/> The Athel tree is commonly used for windbreaks on the edge of agricultural fields and as a shade tree in the deserts of the Southwestern United States.<ref>Sharma, U., Kataria, V., & Shekhawat, N. S. (2017) Aeroponics for adventitious rhizogenesis in evergreen haloxeric tree ''Tamarix aphylla'' (L.) Karst.: influence of exogenous auxins and cutting type. Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants, 24(1):167–174 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-017-0493-0</ref> ''Tamarix aphylla'' (Athel tree), a large evergreen tree, does not sexually reproduce in the local climate and is not considered a seriously invasive species.<ref name=texasinvasives/> The Athel tree is commonly used for windbreaks on the edge of agricultural fields and as a shade tree in the deserts of the Southwestern United States.<ref>Sharma, U., Kataria, V., & Shekhawat, N. S. (2017) Aeroponics for adventitious rhizogenesis in evergreen haloxeric tree ''Tamarix aphylla'' (L.) Karst.: influence of exogenous auxins and cutting type. Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants, 24(1):167–174 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-017-0493-0 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230302193559/https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12298-017-0493-0 |date=2023-03-02 }}</ref>


; Deciduous species ; Deciduous species
The second subgroup contains the deciduous tamarisks, which are small, shrubby trees, commonly known as "saltcedars". These include ''T. pentandra'', ''T. tetrandra'', ''T. gallica'', ''T. chinensis'', ''T. ramosissima'' and ''T. parviflora''.<ref name=texasinvasives/> The second subgroup contains the deciduous tamarisks, which are small, shrubby trees, commonly known as "saltcedars". These include ''T. pentandra'', ''T. tetrandra'', ''T. gallica'', ''T. chinensis'', ''T. ramosissima'' and ''T. parviflora''.<ref name=texasinvasives/>


==Cultural history== ==In culture==
] island, Greece]]
In the ], Gilgamesh's mother, the goddess ], ceremoniously bathes in a bath of "tamarisk" and ] before allowing ] and ] to begin their conquest.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

In the ] 10.466 ] and ] hide the spoils of ] in a tamarisk tree ({{lang-el|μυρίκη}}).

In the ] 21.18 ] leaves his spear aside among the tamarisks by the banks of the river Xanthus.

In ] 21:33, ] is recorded to have "planted a tamarisk at ]".<ref>The ] has the word 'grove', but the ] has 'tamarisk'. The Hebrew word is different from that translated as 'grove' elsewhere in the ] ].</ref> He had built a well there, earlier.<ref name=Tyndale>Tyndale New Living Translation.{{full citation needed|date=March 2021}}</ref>
In ] 22:6, ] is sitting under a tamarisk tree on a hill at ] when he learns that ] has returned to ].<ref name=Tyndale/>

In ] 31:13, Saul's bones are buried under a tamarisk tree in ].<ref name=Tyndale/>


* A ] dating to the 18th century BC, ], features a personified tamarisk debating the date-palm over who is better.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jiménez |first=Enrique |title=The Babylonian disputation poems |date=2017 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-33625-4 |series= |location= |pages=23–28}}</ref>
In ], only a tamarisk arrow to the eye can wound the otherwise invincible Prince Esfandiar.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}


* In ] 21:33, ] is recorded to have "planted a tamarisk at ]".<ref>The ] has the word "grove", but the ] has "tamarisk". The Hebrew word is different from that translated as "grove" elsewhere in the KJV ].</ref> He had built a well there, earlier.<ref name="Tyndale">Tyndale New Living Translation.{{full citation needed|date=March 2021}}</ref> In ] 22:6, ] is sitting under a tamarisk tree on a hill at ] when he learns that ] has returned to ].<ref name="Tyndale" />
In the ] 34:16, the people of Saba were punished when " converted their two garden (rows) into gardens producing bitter fruit and tamarisks...".


* In ] 31:13, Saul's bones are buried under a tamarisk tree in ].<ref name="Tyndale" />
In ], the body of ] is hidden for a time in a tamarisk tree in ], until it was retrieved by ]. A reference to this is also made in the computer game, '']'', in which the head of ] is said to be hidden inside the trunk of a great tamarisk tree.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}


* In the ] 34:16, the people of Saba were punished when " converted their two garden (rows) into gardens producing bitter fruit and tamarisks...".<ref name="Adams1" />
] made a "Tamarisk" China pattern.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wedgwood, Tamarisk {{!}} Replacements, Ltd. |url=https://www.replacements.com/china-wedgwood-tamarisk/c/114437 |website=www.replacements.com |access-date=31 May 2021}}</ref>


* ] made a "Tamarisk" ] pattern.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wedgwood, Tamarisk |publisher=Replacements, Ltd. |url=https://www.replacements.com/china-wedgwood-tamarisk/c/114437 |access-date=31 May 2021 |archive-date=2 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602214701/https://www.replacements.com/china-wedgwood-tamarisk/c/114437 |url-status=live }}</ref>
According to the '']'', the tamarisk plant is a favorite of the Greek god ].{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}


* In the ] 10:465 ] buries the spoils from a captured Trojan spy under a tamarisk tree, and marks their spot with reeds and tamarisk shoots. The spoils (a polecat cap, wolfskin cloak, long spear and bow) are dedicated to the goddess ].
The tamarisk features heavily in ]'s short story, "the Tamarisk Hunter." The story depicts a man in a drought-stricken near future who uproots and collects tamarisk plants in exchange for state-paid bounties. The story is collected in Bacigalupi's short story collection, ''Pump Six''.


==References== ==References==
Line 146: Line 141:


==Further reading== ==Further reading==
*{{ Cite journal |last=Christensen| first=E. M. |title=The Rate of Naturalization of ''Tamarix'' in Utah |journal=American Midland Naturalist |year=1962| volume=68| issue=1 |pages=51–57 |doi=10.2307/2422635 |jstor=2422635}}
*{{ Cite journal
| last=Christensen| first=E. M.
| title=The Rate of Naturalization of Tamarix in Utah
| journal=American Midland Naturalist | year=1962| volume=68| issue=1 |pages=51–57
| doi=10.2307/2422635
| jstor=2422635}}.
*{{ Cite journal
| last1=Horton
| first1=J. L.
| last2=Kolb
| first2=T. E.
| last3=Hart
| first3=S. C.
| title= Responses of riparian trees to interannual variation in ground water depth in a semi-arid river basin
| journal=Plant, Cell and Environment
|year=2001 |volume=24 |issue=3 |pages=293–304
| doi=10.1046/j.1365-3040.2001.00681.x
| citeseerx= 10.1.1.208.6920
}}.
*{{ Cite journal
| last1=Merritt
| first1=David M.
| last2=Cooper
| first2=David J.
| title= Riparian vegetation and channel change in response to river regulation: A comparative study of regulated and unregulated streams in the Green River Basin, USA
| journal=Regulated Rivers: Research and Management
|year=2000 |volume=16 |issue=6 |pages=543–564
| doi=10.1002/1099-1646(200011/12)16:6<543::AID-RRR590>3.0.CO;2-N
}}.
*{{ Cite journal
| last1=Shafroth |first1=Patrick |last2=Stromberg |first2=Juliet |last3=Patten |first3=Duncan
| title= Woody riparian vegetation response to different alluvial water table regimes
| journal=Western North American Naturalist
| volume=60 | year=2000 | pages=66–76
| url=https://www.rosemonteis.us/files/references/048768.pdf}}.
*{{ Cite journal
| last1=Sher |first1=A. A. |last2=Marshall |first2=D. L. |last3=Taylor |first3=J. P.
| title=Establishment patterns of native Populus and Salix in the presence of invasive, non-native Tamarix
| journal= Ecological Applications
| date=June 2002 |volume=12 |issue=3
| pages=760–772
| doi=10.1890/1051-0761(2002)0122.0.co;2}}.
*{{ Cite journal
| last=Stromberg| first=J. C.
| title=Dynamics of Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii) and saltcedar (Tamarix chinesis) populations along the San Pedro River, Arizona
| journal=Journal of Arid Environments | year=1998 | volume=40 | issue=2 |pages=133–155
| doi=10.1006/jare.1998.0438
| bibcode=1998JArEn..40..133S
}}.
*{{ Cite journal
| last1=Taylor |first1=J. |last2=McDaniel |first2=K.
| title= Restoration of saltcedar (Tamarix spp.)-infested floodplains on the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
| journal=Weed Technology
| year=1998 | volume=12 | issue= 2
| pages=345–352 | doi= 10.1017/S0890037X0004392X
}}.
*{{ Cite journal
| vauthors=Zamora-Arroyo F, Nagler PL, Briggs M, Radtke D, Rodriquez H, Garcia J, Valdes C, Huete A, Glenn EP
| title=Regeneration of native trees in response to flood releases from the United States into the delta of the Colorado River, Mexico
| journal=Journal of Arid Environments | year=2001 | volume=49 | issue=1|pages=49–64
| doi=10.1006/jare.2001.0835
| bibcode=2001JArEn..49...49Z
}}.
*{{ Cite journal
| last=Zavaleta | first=E.
| title=The Economic Value of Controlling an Invasive Shrub
| journal=Ambio: A Journal of the Human Environment
| date=December 2000 | volume=29 | issue=8 |pages=462–467
| doi=10.1639/0044-7447(2000)0292.0.co;2}}.


==External links== ==External links==
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{{wiktionary}} {{wiktionary}}
{{Wikisource1911Enc|Tamarisk}} {{Wikisource1911Enc|Tamarisk}}
* , National Invasive Species Information Center, ]. Lists general information and resources for Saltcedar. *, National Invasive Species Information Center, ]. Lists general information and resources for Saltcedar.
* *
* , Plant Conservation Alliance's Alien Plant Working Group *, Plant Conservation Alliance's Alien Plant Working Group
* , a natural resource on which the communities depend for fuelwood, tools, and basket making. *, a natural resource on which the communities depend for fuelwood, tools, and basket making.
* *
* , University of California *, University of California


{{Taxonbar|from=Q164163}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q164163}}

Latest revision as of 11:37, 26 December 2024

Genus of plants "Tamarisk" redirects here. For other uses, see Tamarisk (disambiguation). Not to be confused with tamarind, a leguminous tree grown for its edible pods, or tamarack, an American larch tree.

Tamarix
Tamarix aphylla in its natural habitat in Revivim, Israel
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Tamaricaceae
Genus: Tamarix
L.
Species

See text

The genus Tamarix (tamarisk, salt cedar, taray) is composed of about 50–60 species of flowering plants in the family Tamaricaceae, native to drier areas of Eurasia and Africa. The generic name originated in Latin and may refer to the Tamaris River in Hispania Tarraconensis (Spain).

Description

They are evergreen or deciduous shrubs or trees growing to 1–18 m (3+1⁄2–59 ft) in height and forming dense thickets. The largest, Tamarix aphylla, is an evergreen tree that can grow to 18 m (59 ft) tall. They usually grow on saline soils, tolerating up to 15,000 ppm soluble salt, and can also tolerate alkaline conditions.

Tamarisks are characterized by slender branches and grey-green foliage. The bark of young branches is smooth and reddish brown. As the plants age, the bark becomes gray-brown, ridged and furrowed.

The leaves are scale-like, almost like that of junipers, 1–2 mm (1/20" to 1/10") long, and overlap each other along the stem. They are often encrusted with salt secretions.

The pink to white flowers appear in dense masses on 5–10 cm (2" to 4") long spikes at branch tips from March to September, though some species (e.g., T. aphylla) tend to flower in the summer until as late as November.

Selected species

Tamarix gallica in flower
A Tamarix aphylla specimen in its natural habitat in Algeria
Tamarix stricta in Ateybeh village, Boushehr, Iran

Formerly placed here

Ecology

Tamarix aphylla can spread both vegetatively, by submerged stems producing adventitious roots, and sexually, by seeds. Each flower can produce thousands of tiny (1 mm; 1/20" diameter) seeds that are contained in a small capsule usually adorned with a tuft of hair that aids in wind dispersal. Seeds can also be dispersed by water. Seedlings require extended periods of soil saturation for establishment. Tamarisk trees are most often propagated by cuttings.

These trees grow in disturbed and undisturbed streams, waterways, bottom lands, banks, and drainage washes of natural or artificial water bodies, moist rangelands and pastures.

Whether Tamarix species are fire-adapted or not is unclear, but in many cases a large proportion of the trees are able to resprout from the stump after fires, although not notably more so than other riverine species. They likely cannot resprout from root suckers. In some habitats where they are native, wildfire appears to favour the establishment of riverine trees such as Populus, to the detriment of Tamarix. Conversely, they do appear to be more flammable, with more dead wood produced and debris held aloft. In the southwestern USA, most stands studied appear to be burning at faster intervals than they can fully mature and die of natural causes.

Tamarix species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Coleophora asthenella which feeds exclusively on T. africana.

As an invasive species

In some specific riparian habitats in the Southwestern United States and California, Tamarix ramosissima has naturalized and become a significant invasive plant species. In other areas, the plants form dense monocultures that alter the natural environment and compete with native species already stressed by human activity. Recent scientific investigations have generally concluded that the primary human-caused impact to desert riparian ecosystems within the Colorado River Basin is the alteration of the flood regime by dams; Tamarix ramosissima is relatively tolerant of this hydrologic alteration compared to flood-dependent native woody riparian species such as willow, cottonwood, and box elder.

Competition with native plants

Research on competition between tamarisk seedlings and co-occurring native trees has found that Tamarix seedlings are not competitive over a range of environments, but stands of mature trees effectively prevent native species' establishment in the understory, due to low light, elevated salinity, and possibly changes to the soil biota. Box elder (Acer negundo, a native riparian tree) seedlings survive and grow under higher-shade conditions than Tamarix seedlings, and mature Tamarix specimens die after 1–2 years of 98% shade, indicating a pathway for successional replacement of Tamarix by box elder. Anthropogenic activities that preferentially favor tamarisk (such as changes to flooding regimens) are associated with infestation. To date, Tamarix has taken over large sections of riparian ecosystems in the western United States that were once home to native cottonwoods and willows, and are projected by some to spread well beyond the current range.

In a 2013 study which examined if native plant growth was hindered by the microbiota associated with the presence of Tamarix, a relatively new invasive plant to the northern United States, Elymus lanceolatus and other native plants in fact grew better when a small soil sample from areas where Tamarix trees grew was mixed in with the potting soil, as opposed to samples without these plants. This was thought to indicate the presence of beneficial mycorrhizae. The presence of Tamarix plants has also been shown to boost soil fertility in a number of studies, and it also increases soil salinity. Two studies found that Tamarix plants are able to limit the recruitment of Salix and Populus tree species, in the latter case possibly due to interfering with the trees ability to form symbiotic relationships with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, in contrast to the grass and legume species studied in 2013.

Because it is much more efficient at both obtaining water from drying soil and conserving water during drought, it can outcompete many native species, especially after the habitat is altered by controlling flood regimes and disturbance of water sources. Because the trees are able to concentrate salts on the outside of their leaves, dense stands of the tree will form a layer of high salinity on the topsoil as the leaves are shed. Although this layer is easily washed off during flooding events, in areas where the rivers are channelled and floods are controlled, this salty layer inhibits the germination of a number of native plants. However, a study involving more than a thousand soil samples across gradients of both flood frequency and Tamarix density concluded that "flooding may be the most important factor for assessing floodplain salinity" and "soils under Tamarix canopies had lower surface soil salinity than open areas deprived of flooding suggesting that surface evaporation may contribute more to surface soil salinity than Tamarix".

Investigation of effects of invasion

Tamarix species are commonly believed to disrupt the structure and stability of North American native plant communities and degrade native wildlife habitat, by outcompeting and replacing native plant species, salinizing soils, monopolizing limited sources of moisture, and increasing the frequency, intensity, and effect of fires and floods . While individual plants may not consume larger quantities of water than native species, large, dense stands of tamarisk do consume more water than equivalent stands of native cottonwoods. An active and ongoing debate exists as to when the tamarisk can out-compete native plants, and if it is actively displacing native plants or it just taking advantage of disturbance by removal of natives by humans and changes in flood regimens.

Controls

Pest populations of tamarisk in the United States can be dealt with in several ways. The National Park Service has used the methods of physically removing the plants, spraying them with herbicides, and introducing northern tamarisk beetles (Diorhabda carinulata) in the national park system. Various attempts to control tamarisk have been implemented on federal lands including Dinosaur National Monument, San Andres National Wildlife Refuge, and White Sands Missile Range. After years of study, the USDA Agricultural Research Service found that the introduced tamarisk beetles (Diorhabda elongata) eat only the tamarisk, and starve when no more is available, not eating any plants native to North America.

Uses

  • Tamarisk species, notably T. ramosissima and T. tetrandra. are used as ornamental shrubs, windbreaks, and shade trees:
  • In the Southwest of the United states of America, tamarisk was introduced to help erosion control.
  • In Greece recipes may call for tamarix (salt cedar) – known locally as almyriki –  for cooking and eating as a wild green vegetable.
  • On the steppes of Asia, the Saka may have used tamarisk wood (combined with horn) to produce tremendously powerful bows hundreds of years before the common era.
  • The wood may be used for carpentry or firewood: it is a possible agroforestry species.
  • At certain times of year, scale insects feeding upon the tender twigs of tamarisk plants excrete a sweet substance known as honeydew, which has been gathered for use as a food source and sweetener for thousands of years. The substance is also known locally as "manna", and some scholars have suggested that this substance is the biblical manna that fed the Israelites during their flight from Egypt, though others dispute this interpretation.
  • Tamarisks play a role in anti-desertification programs in China.

In North America

The tamarisk was introduced to the United States as an ornamental shrub, a windbreak, and a shade tree in the early 19th century. In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, tree-planting was used as a tool to fight soil erosion on the Great Plains, and different trees were planted by the millions in the Great Plains Shelterbelt, including salt cedars.

Eight species are found in North America. They can be divided into two subgroups:

Evergreen species

Tamarix aphylla (Athel tree), a large evergreen tree, does not sexually reproduce in the local climate and is not considered a seriously invasive species. The Athel tree is commonly used for windbreaks on the edge of agricultural fields and as a shade tree in the deserts of the Southwestern United States.

Deciduous species

The second subgroup contains the deciduous tamarisks, which are small, shrubby trees, commonly known as "saltcedars". These include T. pentandra, T. tetrandra, T. gallica, T. chinensis, T. ramosissima and T. parviflora.

In culture

Tamarisk tree (almyriki) in Milos island, Greece
  • In 1 Samuel 31:13, Saul's bones are buried under a tamarisk tree in Jabesh.
  • In the Quran 34:16, the people of Saba were punished when " converted their two garden (rows) into gardens producing bitter fruit and tamarisks...".
  • In the Iliad 10:465 Odysseus buries the spoils from a captured Trojan spy under a tamarisk tree, and marks their spot with reeds and tamarisk shoots. The spoils (a polecat cap, wolfskin cloak, long spear and bow) are dedicated to the goddess Athena.

References

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Further reading

  • Christensen, E. M. (1962). "The Rate of Naturalization of Tamarix in Utah". American Midland Naturalist. 68 (1): 51–57. doi:10.2307/2422635. JSTOR 2422635.

External links

Taxon identifiers
Tamarix
Categories: