Shrubs or undershrubs, erect or prostrate. Leaves sessile, ovate, ovate-lanceolate,
oblong-ovate or linear-oblong, rarely obovate. Flowers many in terminal or lateral
racemes or spike-like racemes, rarely 1- 3-flowered, bracteate, bisexual. Calyx 5-partite
nearly to the base; lobes linear-lanceolate, linear-oblong, ovate-lanceolate, oblong-ovate
or ovate with scarious margins. Petals 5, obovate, obovate-spathulate or oblong-abovate, persistent or subpersistent. Stamens 10, alternately long and short, monadelphous
with filaments connate up to middle or a little above, persistent; free part of filaments usually dilated at base. Disc almost obsolete. Ovary pyramidal to conical with obscurely
3-lobed, capitate, sessile stigma. Capsules elongate-pyramidal. Seeds many, small with
sessile, subsessile or stipitate coma.
Europe and mainly in Asia, ca 10 species; 6 in India (all in Himalayas).
Literature.
BOBROV, E.G. (1967). A review of the genus Myricaria Desv. (Tamaricaceae) and
its histoty. Bot. Zhum. 52: 924 -
936 (in Russian with English summaty). QAISER, M. (1976). Revision
of the family Tamaricaceae from Pakistan. 1. The genera Myricaria Desv. and Reaumuria L. Pakistan J.
Bot. 8: 199 -
212.
Notes. Myricaria elegans Royle ( = Tamarix ladachensis Baum) is now considered
as belonging to a separate monotypic genus, Myrtama Ovcz. & Kinz. For further details
see note under Myrtama.
2a. Seeds with sessile or subsessile coma; bracts lanceolate to ovate-Ianceolate with narrow scarious
margins
3
b. Seeds with stipitate coma; bracts elliptic, oblong-elliptic, oblong-ovate, oblong-obovate, rhomboid or
trapezoid with broad scarious margins in lower half
4
3a. Prostrate undershrubs; base of peduncle with numerous scales; bracts 7 - 11 x 1.5 - 3 mm; sepals 4 - 6 x 1 - 1.5 mm;petals 6 - 8 x 2 - 3.5 mm, reddish;capsules 10 - 15 mm long
b. Erect shrubs; base of peduncles devoid of scales; bracts 3.5 - 7 x 1 - 2 mm; sepals 3 - 4 x 1 mm; petals 4 - 5 x 2 - 2.5 mm,white;capsules 8 - 10 mm long