African Tamarisk

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• African Tamarisk

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Tamarix allorgeana
• Tamarix calarantha
• Tamarix celtiberica
• Tamarix castellana
• Tamarix ludibunda
• Tamarix mauritii
• Tamarix getula
• Tamarix hispanica
• Tamarix hieronymi
• Tamarix font-queri
• Tamarix tingitana
• Tamarix viciosoi
• Tamarix segobricensis
• Tamarix africana var. saharae
• Tamarix africana var. ducellieri
• Tamarix brachystylis var. fluminensis
• Tamarix africana var. microstachys
• Tamarix africana var. palasyana
• Tamarix africana var. weilleri
• Tamarix africana var. wilczekii
• Tamarix gallica var. pleiandra
• Tamarix speciosa var. acutibracteata
• Tamarix speciosa var. calarantha
• Tamarix speciosa var. font-queri
• Tamarix speciosa var. getula
• Tamarix speciosa var. tingitana
• Tamarix speciosa subsp. ludibunda
• Tamarix longebracteolata
• Tamarix malacitana
• Tamarix theodori
• Tamarix castellana f. rosea
• Tamarix brachystilis var. fluminensis
• Tamarix africana var. fluminensis
• Tamarix africana var. brevistyla
• Tamarix africana var. brivesii
• Tamarix africana f. leptostachya
• Tamarix africana var. laxiflora
• Tamarix uncinatifolia
• Tamarix malenconiana
• Tamarix praecox

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Caryophyllales, it is situated in the family Tamaricaceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Tamarix.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific geographical range that extends across several distinct regions of Europe. In Northern Europe, its presence can be observed within Great Britain. Moving toward the Mediterranean, the species is distributed across various parts of Southwestern Europe. Specifically, it is found in the Baleares, Corse, and France. Finally, its distribution in the southwestern reaches of the continent includes Portugal.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Tamarix africana is characterized by its remarkable adaptability to arid and semi-arid environments, where it thrives in saline and alkaline soils often found in riparian zones or salt flats. This species is strategically distributed across a wide altitudinal gradient, occupying habitats ranging from sea level up to an elevation of 800 m AMSL. By establishing itself in these low-to-mid elevation zones, the plant plays a crucial role in stabilizing desert landscapes and managing soil salinity through its specialized physiological mechanisms. Its presence is typically dictated by the availability of groundwater, allowing it to persist in harsh, water-stressed ecosystems where other vegetation might struggle to survive.

Elevational range max:

800 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Tamarix africana is characterized by its nature as a perennial species, allowing it to persist in its environment over multiple growing seasons. Functionally, it is classified as a phanerophyte, a life form defined by its ability to maintain its reproductive buds high above the ground on woody stems, which protects them from various environmental stressors. This phanerophyte status is consistent across its developmental stages, ensuring its structural dominance within its ecological niche.

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Tamarix africana is characterized by a woody growth form that can manifest as either a shrub or a tree, typically reaching a maximum plant height of approximately 3 meters. As a self-supporting plant, it does not exhibit climbing tendencies and functions as an independent organism rather than a parasite. It is a terrestrial species, growing in soil rather than as an epiphyte. Its structural integrity is defined by its woody nature, providing the necessary support for its stature in its natural habitat.

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

3 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Tamarix africana is characterized by specialized adaptations to arid environments, most notably through its reliance on the C3 photosynthetic pathway for carbon fixation. This metabolic strategy allows the plant to function within its ecological niche, despite the water-scarcity challenges typical of its habitat. Morphologically, its photosynthetic surfaces are highly reduced, exhibiting minute leaf structures that minimize transpiration; specifically, the leaf length is exceptionally small, ranging from a minimum of 0.15 cm to a maximum of 0.3 cm. This microphyllous leaf structure is a key physiological adaptation to limit water loss while maintaining the necessary surface area for light interception and gas exchange.

Leaf length max:

0.3 cm

Leaf length min:

0.15 cm

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Tamarix africana is characterized by a sexual process involving bisexual flowers that are white in color. The flowering period typically begins in March and concludes in June, though the timing can be variable throughout the year. These flowers are relatively small, with lengths ranging from a minimum of 0.2 cm to a maximum of 0.33 cm. The pollination mechanism is biotic, specifically relying on an insect pollination syndrome, and the plant does not exhibit self-fertilization. Following successful pollination, the plant produces a high volume of seeds, with each fruit containing more than 1,000 seeds. Each individual seed is extremely minute, possessing a mean mass of approximately 1e-05 g. The dispersal of these seeds follows an unspecialized syndrome, though it is also noted to be anthropochorous, meaning dispersal can be influenced by human activity.

Dispersal syndrome :

unspecialized

Dispersal syndrome :

anthropochorous

Flower colour :

white

Flower length max:

0.33 cm

Flower length min:

0.2 cm

Flowering time :

Mar

Flowering time :

Jun

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction sexual :

bisexual

Seed mass mean:

1e-05 g

Seeds_per_fruit :

>1000

Self fertilization :

absent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Activities

Tamarix africana has 3 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Anticancer, Antioxidant, Cytotoxic.

Anticancer

1. International journal of environmental health research

Antioxidant

1. International journal of environmental health research

Cytotoxic

1. International journal of environmental health research

Conditions

Tamarix africana has 1 reported investigations on conditions identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include colon adenocarcinoma.

Colon adenocarcinoma

1. International journal of environmental health research

Preparations

Tamarix africana has 1 reported preparations identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include methanol shoot extract.

Methanol shoot extract

1. Planta medica