Tamarix ericoides
Rottler & Willd. in Ges. Naturf. Freunde Berlin Neue Schriften 4: 214. 1803; Dyer in Fl. Brit. India 1: 249. 1874. Myricaria vaginata Desv. in Ann. Sci.
Nat. ser 1,4: 350. 1825. Trichaurus ericoides (Rottler & Willd.) Arn. ex Wight & Arn.,
Prodr.40.1834,p.p.
Guj.: Gajri; Hindi: Jhau; Mar.: Saru; Raj.: Javra; Tel.: Jeelugu.
Undershrubs or shurbs, 0.7 - 2 (-3) m high. Leaves vaginate in lower part and pseudo-vaginate in upper part, 1 - 5.5 (-7) mm long, ovate-lanceolate to triangular-ovate or broadly triangular, keeled, acuminate or acute at apex, upcurved. Racemes mostly vernal, simple, 4 - 19 x 1 - 1.5 (-2) cm; rachis papillose; bracts semiamplexicaul or amplexicaul, 2.5 - 5.2 (- 8) mm long, broadly triangular to broadly ovate-lanceolate, acuminate at apex, denticulate to subentire. Flowers pink or pale pink. Sepals 5, almost free, (2.2-) 2.5 - 3.5 (-4) x (1.2-) 1.5 - 2.2 mm, ovate, irregularly denticulate, subequal, outer two more acute than inner three. Petals 5, (4-) 5 - 6.5 x (2 -) 4 - 4.5 (-4.7) mm, obovate to oblong-obovate. Five longer stamens antisepalous, inserted hypodiscally with filaments (2 -) 3.5 - 5.5 mm long, alternating with 5 shorter antipetalous ones inserted peridiscally with filaments (1.2-) 2.5 - 4 (-4.2) mm long. Disc 1.5 - 2 mm across, 10-lobed. Capsules 1 - 1.5 cm long. Seeds 1 - 1.5 mm long; coma 5 - 8.5 mm long.
Fl. & Fr. Almost throughout the year.
Distrib. India: On river and stream beds. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Notes. The leaves are used in the treatment of cough in children and for treating enlarged spleen. The paste made from the tender shoots is applied on skin rashes by the Koyas of Andhra Pradesh. The galls are astringent. The twigs are used as firewood and for making brooms and brushes in Maharashtra.
Chromosome number 2n = 24 (Sharma, Y.M.L.,Ann. Bot. 3: 869. 1939).
Undershrubs or shurbs, 0.7 - 2 (-3) m high. Leaves vaginate in lower part and pseudo-vaginate in upper part, 1 - 5.5 (-7) mm long, ovate-lanceolate to triangular-ovate or broadly triangular, keeled, acuminate or acute at apex, upcurved. Racemes mostly vernal, simple, 4 - 19 x 1 - 1.5 (-2) cm; rachis papillose; bracts semiamplexicaul or amplexicaul, 2.5 - 5.2 (- 8) mm long, broadly triangular to broadly ovate-lanceolate, acuminate at apex, denticulate to subentire. Flowers pink or pale pink. Sepals 5, almost free, (2.2-) 2.5 - 3.5 (-4) x (1.2-) 1.5 - 2.2 mm, ovate, irregularly denticulate, subequal, outer two more acute than inner three. Petals 5, (4-) 5 - 6.5 x (2 -) 4 - 4.5 (-4.7) mm, obovate to oblong-obovate. Five longer stamens antisepalous, inserted hypodiscally with filaments (2 -) 3.5 - 5.5 mm long, alternating with 5 shorter antipetalous ones inserted peridiscally with filaments (1.2-) 2.5 - 4 (-4.2) mm long. Disc 1.5 - 2 mm across, 10-lobed. Capsules 1 - 1.5 cm long. Seeds 1 - 1.5 mm long; coma 5 - 8.5 mm long.
Fl. & Fr. Almost throughout the year.
Distrib. India: On river and stream beds. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Notes. The leaves are used in the treatment of cough in children and for treating enlarged spleen. The paste made from the tender shoots is applied on skin rashes by the Koyas of Andhra Pradesh. The galls are astringent. The twigs are used as firewood and for making brooms and brushes in Maharashtra.
Chromosome number 2n = 24 (Sharma, Y.M.L.,Ann. Bot. 3: 869. 1939).
